Man who committed 80 offences in four months is jailed

Paul Priestly, 46, of no fixed address, committed multiple thefts from vehicles and breaches of a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) between July and early November 2024 in the Drummond Road and surrounding area of Skegness.

According to Lincolnshire Police, the cases were initially linked by Response officers who had been called by victims of Priestly’s crimes.

They realised that the offences were connected, leading to a significant investigation and the identification of Priestly as a suspect. He was originally charged with a handful of offences in November, and bailed, during which time our officers continued investigating, finding evidence linking him to further incidents.

During interviews, the Force said he admitted to "a lot more" offences.

Priestly was charged with nine counts of theft from a motor vehicle, two counts of possession of amphetamine, 11 breaches of a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO), two counts of vehicle interference, and possession of cannabis. The court also took into consideration 60 other offences, including 37 further thefts from a motor vehicle, and 23 counts of vehicle interference.

Priestly has now been sentenced to 24 months in prison in connection with the breaches of his CBO, as well as had suspended sentence from a previous case activated, adding a further four months to his sentence.

He has also been given a two month sentence for the theft from a motor vehicle and one week for vehicle interference, both of which are to run concurrently with his other sentences.

Of the case, Sgt Rhys Cordy from the Response Investigation Team (RIT) said: "A vast number of these offences were committed on unlocked cars where Mr Priestley has ‘taken a chance’ and been able to steal from them. It’s so important to lock your car when leaving it, and to keep any valuables out of sight – please try to take the time so that you don’t fall victim to crime as well. "This has been a protracted investigation over several months and I hope that the court results give those victims peace of mind. We will endeavour to prosecute every offence we can and bring offenders to justice. I’d like to take the opportunity to recognise Response Officers PC Sage and PC Young for identifying this crime series in the first instance, before handing it over to ourselves in the RIT for further investigation. The officer in charge of this case, PC Craven, has worked tirelessly on this investigation, her diligence and commitment to this case has been exemplary.”

Neighbourhood Policing Team Inspector Jacky Evans added a direct thanks to the local community: She said: “This collaboration strengthens our efforts to keep our community safe. We urge everyone to remain engaged, respond to appeals, and speak with our officers whenever possible. Our community spirit remains resolute in identifying, charging, and prosecuting those who seek to cause us harm. “Together, we can and will make a difference. Thank you for your unwavering support and commitment."