Jail for Bromley shop raider who was stopped in his tracks by police lying in wait

CCTV footage has been released of the moment Met police officers caught two prolific shoplifters as they targeted a Co-Op in east London – one of them from Beckenham.

Donavan Soloman, 37, of Avenue Road, Beckenham, and his accomplice Lee Moise, 38, of Croyland Road, Edmonton, were wearing balaclavas when they attempted to raid the store in Homerton High Street, Hackney, on December 22 last year.

Neighbourhood officers, who were carrying out a proactive operation at the store in response to concerns about shoplifting, saw the incident unfold on CCTV and detained the men.

They were arrested and taken into custody where they were later charged.

Soloman pleaded guilty to burglary and criminal damage at Wood Green Crown Court. He was sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment. He had four previous convictions for theft.

Moise also pleaded guilty to burglary and criminal damage at Snaresbrook Crown Court. He was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment. He had 10 previous convictions for theft.

Inspector Mohammed Uddin, from the neighbourhood policing team in Homerton, said:”Across the Met we’re focused on tackling the most prolific shoplifters as we know the fear they cause retail workers and the negative impact their offending has on communities.

“We’re working with local business owners to understand their concerns and we’ll continue our crackdown with operations such as this one as well as our regular patrols.”

Enquiries to identify a third man involved in the incident are ongoing.

Pictured top: Donavan Soloman (Picture: The Met)