Prolific Brighton and Hove burglar jailed for 34 months – Brighton and Hove News

A persistent and prolific Brighton and Hove burglar has been jailed for 34 months by a judge at Lewes Crown Court.

Elliot Cahill, 33, formerly of Clarendon Villas, Hove, was convicted of brazenly stealing meat, fish and other food, laundry products, jeans and other clothing from various shops over a period of more than a year.

Cahill pleaded guilty to 15 counts of theft, stealing drinks worth more than $800 in a restaurant robbery and breaching a criminal behavior order.

He was also in breach of a 21-month suspended prison sentence and Judge Mark Van Der Zwart imposed 12 months of that sentence in Lewes on Thursday (October 31).

Judge Van Der Zwart sentenced Cahill to 16 months in prison, to be served consecutively, for breaching a criminal behavior order banning him from entering North Street in Brighton.

He was banned from North Street after repeatedly targeting the White Company, Oliver Bonas and Boots, breaking in and taking away goods before leaving without paying.

The judge also sentenced Cahill to an additional six months in prison, to be served consecutively, for a total of 34 months, for stealing meat, shrimp and salmon.

For the remaining crimes, he was sentenced simultaneously rather than consecutively, and at one point the judge told him: “You’re lucky.”

Gareth Burrows, defending, accepted that Cahill had breached a court-imposed criminal conduct order and said the bank branch was in North Street and was the only branch for miles.

Mr Burrows said: “This is clearly a persistent attack but it is at the lowest level the court will see.”

Mr Burrows also said: “The crime would not have crossed the custody threshold if it had been in solitary.”

He added: “This involves simply and unplanned entering and exiting stores with security tags still on, often in full view of staff and CCTV.”

Mr Burrows said: “This is, in essence, persistent theft by someone with a long and established drug addiction.

“He is someone who had a difficult childhood in the care system. “He had no positive family influences and became addicted to drugs at an early age.”

Nikki James, prosecuting on behalf of the probation service, said the court had in the past given Cahill community sentences, including residential drug treatment, when he was given a suspended prison sentence. He also stopped coming to probation appointments.

But he himself came out and added: “When initially engaged, his level of communication with probation has consistently failed. He is no longer suitable for collective punishment.”

Lydia Stephens, prosecuting for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said Cahill had 49 convictions for more than 120 offences.

While he mostly shoplifted, he broke into Raffaello, the restaurant of the Leonardo Royal Hotel Brighton Waterfront in Bartholomew Square, Brighton, and stole £870 worth of cash and drinks.

He stole clothes worth more than £860 from Urban Outfitters in Churchill Square and, on a separate occasion, jeans worth more than £600 from Levi’s.

He repeatedly targeted the co-operative’s branches in Old Londo Road, Patcham and Blatchington Road, Hove, often stealing meat. But she also bought Fairy Fluid and laundry gel. He also stole from Waitrose in Western Road, Brighton. The value was usually in three figures.

Judge Van Der Zwart said: “(You) have 49 previous convictions for a total of 123 offences. The first time was when you were 14, and you’ve been a frequent offender ever since.

“The majority of your crimes were stealing things. The majority of these crimes are theft, but you also have convictions for residential and commercial property theft.

“Sometimes you attack people too. Abuse of controlled drugs appears to be a large part of the cause of your crime.

“Over the years you have been subjected to many different types of detention and community sentences aimed at punishing but also to distract you from offending and to help you stop taking drugs.

“This included a court order in 2022 banning you from traveling to the part of Brighton and Hove where you committed many of these offences.

“None of these sentences worked.

“In February this year you appeared before me for breach of court order, further theft offences, breach of bail and committing an offense while subject to a suspended prison sentence.

“As no other sentence worked, I was convinced that a place in a residential rehab service was worth a try for people looking to recover from substance abuse.

“I sentence you once again to a suspended sentence and subject you to a drug rehabilitation requirement, subject to your continued residential placement.

“But within a few weeks you left the settlement against its rules. You came back but broke up again and then got disconnected.

“I heard evidence from one of Change Grow Live staff in April this year and was convinced to give you another chance because, despite leaving the placement and other crimes you committed coming to light in 2023, you have made positive progress in addressing your addiction.

“I suspended sentence to see if you could work on your placement and stay out of trouble, but you couldn’t.

“As far as I can understand, you are either unwilling or unable to take advantage of the opportunities the court offers you.

“Despite the positive steps you took earlier this year to tackle your addiction, your crimes have continued almost unabated.

“As soon as the court gives you a chance you throw it away and commit more crimes.

“You think you can buy so many items that you can carry them around in shops and sell them for money or barter them for drugs to feed your addiction.

“There is growing public concern about blatant theft. The public and shop owners of Brighton and Hove now need to be protected from you. Couldn’t get any better chance.

“I hope that during the prison sentence that I have now had to impose, you can make progress in addressing the causes of your offending.”

The judge said: “Most offenses taken in isolation do not attract an immediate prison sentence. It’s all simple and unplanned.”

But the number of offenses was an aggravating factor and the judge, considering totality and proportionality, imposed prison sentences of almost three years.

He also imposed a new criminal behavior order banning Cahill from North Street and Churchill Square in Brighton and all branches of the Co-op and Waitrose in Brighton and Hove.

He was also banned from remaining in any store in Sussex if asked to leave by the store’s owner, any employee or any security staff.