A FRAUDSTER was caught on CCTV taking an £800 coat from a Bournemouth dry cleaners before putting it on as he walked away.

Perre Whewell, of Hawthorn Road in Bournemouth, was sentenced to a year in prison last week after admitting two burglaries, four counts of fraud, six thefts and the commission of a further offence during the operational period of a suspended sentence order.

The 28-year-old, who was sentenced at Poole Magistrates’ Court, carried out a string of offences, many of which caused his victims “great upset or inconvenience”, it was heard.

He committed the first offence at Complete Dry Cleaning in Holdenhurst Road on Friday, March 22.

Staff at the business had just finished cleaning a coat worth £800. They hung up the garment at the back of the store to air. However, a short time later, they discovered it had disappeared.

After combing through available CCTV footage, it was discovered that a man had picked up the coat, put it on and walked away. Police later identified the offender as Whewell.

The second burglary happened at Bluebird Care in Capstone Road in Bournemouth on Thursday, May 30. A mobile phone and a purse belonging to a staff member were taken.

The victim contacted the bank and discovered that her cards had already been used for two contactless payments at the nearby Golden Supermarket store in Charminster. Whewell was again identified from CCTV footage taken at the store.

The other fraud offences relate to the use of a stolen bank card on Friday, April 26 at Asia Food World and Boscombe Superstore.

Yet again Whewell was captured on CCTV using the card.

The defendant was arrested on Thursday, June 6.

He was charged with the offences on the same day.

Detective Sergeant Adam Gill, of Bournemouth CID, said “Perre Whewell committed a series of offences that caused his victims great upset and inconvenience.

“Dorset Police takes these offences extremely seriously and we are committed to investigating them and bringing the offenders responsible before the courts.”