A PROLIFIC thief and fraudster who preyed on elderly vulnerable women has been jailed and is banned from supermarkets with trollies for 27 offences in south Essex.

Peter Sargent, 53, unemployed, appeared at Basildon Crown Court on Thursday November 8, where he received three years for theft and fraud by false representation and in addition a further two months consecutive for common assault.

He pleaded guilty to all offences – eight thefts, 18 counts of fraud by false representation and one common assault – during the hearing.

Investigating officer PC Leigh Stevenson said: “Sargent is a coward who preyed on vulnerable and elderly women who were out shopping.

“All the victims bravely provided victim personal statements, each of which were read out in court. I would like to thank them for their courage and assistance during this case.

“Sargent has plenty of thinking time in prison and hopefully will reflect on his actions. The additional criminal behaviour order should also act as a deterrent once he is released.”

The criminal behaviour order, which starts when Sargent leaves prison, bans him from any store which has outside of it, for the purposes of shopping, trolleys of any dimension.

All the victims targeted by Peter Sargent were vulnerable and elderly with the eldest being 95 years old.

In each case he targeted his victims, who had their handbags in trolleys as they shopped within the stores.

This provided easy pickings for Sargent.

The incidents took place in supermarkets in Basildon, Hadleigh, Rayleigh and Southend.

In one of the incidents in Southend, a security guard who had apprehended him after he noticed what he was up to was also assaulted.

Sargent has now been banned for life from entering any store displaying trolleys.

Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBOs) are used to focus on more serious offenders who engage in criminal activity as well as anti-social behaviour and will either prohibit specified acts like using shops with trolleys.