Prolific thief captured on CCTV stealing bike outside Sussex leisure centre

A prolific thief has been captured on CCTV stealing a bike outside a leisure centre in Sussex.

Dean Haggerty was spotted using bolt cutters to take the property, which had been locked up, near Splashpoint in Worthing.

It's only one of a number of offences the 48-year-old has been convicted of.

Haggerty, who is unemployed, of Twyford Gardens, Salvington, appeared before Lewes Crown Court on 11 November, where he was jailed for a total of 12 months for more than ten offences.

WATCH: Dean Haggerty steal a bike from a leisure centre in Worthing

His crimes include:

• Theft of alcohol worth £129 from Sainsbury’s at Lyons Farm, Worthing, on 21 June;

• Theft of bedding and towels worth £174 from Home Sense in North Street, Brighton, on 14 June;

• Theft of a bike worth £325 from Brighton Road, Worthing, on 16 June;

• Fraud by false representation, namely used a stolen bank card to buy items worth £44 from Tesco Express in South Farm Road, Worthing, and items worth £50 from Tarring News and Wine in Church Road, Worthing, on 20 September;

• Theft of tobacco worth £400 from WH Smith in Churchill Square, Brighton, on 13 August;

• Theft of approximately 15 DVDs worth an unknown value from WH Smith in Churchill Square, Brighton, on 13 August;

• Theft of toiletries worth £41 from Wilko in the Guildbourne Centre, Worthing, on 7 July;

• Theft of a bike worth £500 from Newland Street, Worthing, on 7 July;

• Theft of a bike worth an unknown value from Northbook College in Broadwater Road, Worthing, on 24 May;

• Theft of a bike worth £1,200 from Brighton Road, Worthing, on 22 June;

• Theft of a bike worth an unknown value from Upper Brighton Road, Worthing, on 22 June;

• Criminal damage of a bike worth £143 in Upper Brighton Road, Worthing, on 22 June.

Inspector Sharon Sawyer, of the Adur and Worthing Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: "Haggerty has been a blight on the community for many, many months, and this is evidenced by his persistent offending.

"We work with the public, local authorities and the business community to prevent and detect incidents of theft, and I’d like to personally thank everyone who has assisted in our investigation to bring Haggerty to justice.

"It was imperative that we gathered as much evidence as possible – including statements from victims and witnesses, and clear CCTV footage – to present a case to the Crown Prosecution Service.

"Bike thefts have been a particular issue in Worthing this past year, and this case provides some reassurance that one of those thieves has been locked up.

"We are mindful of the emotional and financial impact of these offences on victims, and I would encourage any victims or witnesses of crimes to continue to report it to us.

"Our officers regularly patrol the town, including the areas identified as theft ‘hot spots’, and the more intelligence we can build up, the more likely we are to catch criminals and hopefully return the stolen bikes to their rightful owners – especially if they are logged with Bike Register."