A PROLIFIC Carlisle thief is starting another jail sentence for his latest spree of city centre offending.

In December 2022, 30-year-old Kane Queen was made subject to the tough terms of a criminal behaviour order (CBO) for five years.

This was imposed at Carlisle’s magistrates’ court at the request of police in a bid to protect businesses, local residents and also to try and stop Queen committing crimes.

The CBO banned him from entering a number of city supermarkets and other premises attached to Carlisle’s stopwatch scheme, with a police constable saying at the time that the order was a “useful tool” which placed restrictions on Queen.

But Queen, latterly of Borland Avenue, Carlisle, has breached the CBO a number of times, been brought back to court and punished.

And he was back in front of magistrates again after flouting the order and stealing from shops on a number of different dates both this month and last.

On April 20, after entering the M&S food hall, he stole meat valued at £107.36. Then, on both May 12 and 14, he stole laundry products worth a total of £40.97 from the Home Bargains store.

When he appeared in court, Queen admitted three thefts and three associated breaches of the CBO. He also pleaded guilty to a further breach which had occurred on May 19 when he entered M&S.

After hearing details about his criminal conduct, and mitigation from a defence lawyer, magistrates jailed Queen for a total of 12 weeks.

They concluded his offending was so serious that only custody could be justified; and also that Queen had shown a 'flagrant disregard' for an order made by the court.

In a previous occasion when Queen flouted the CBO, he was taken to task by one lead magistrate.

“You have been given a CBO and you really have treated it as if it were just a piece of paper and it had no effect at all,” said Alan Cottingham.

“Because of that, Carlisle shopkeepers, shops, have had to put up with an awful lot of aggravation.”