A retired police officer has condemned the criminal justice system as 'broken' after he was fined £130 for pursuing a shoplifter in his car, while the offender escaped prosecution entirely. Norman Brennan, 64, confronted the thief outside a Sainsbury's Local in Twickenham, South-West London, and followed him for nearly two miles before helping police make an arrest. He later recovered nine bottles of expensive wine hidden in a backpack behind a block of flats.
Instead of receiving praise, Mr Brennan was penalised by the London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames for briefly driving the wrong way down a one-way street during the pursuit. The council rejected his appeal, stating he 'had no legal authority to enter this road'. The shoplifter was neither fined nor cautioned, as the store manager decided not to press charges.
Mr Brennan, a former British Transport Police detective constable, told the Mail on Sunday that the incident makes a mockery of Policing Minister Chris Philp's call for the public to help tackle shoplifting by making citizen's arrests. 'What a complete waste of my time and an absolute farce,' he said. 'The only one being punished here is me. The criminal justice system is broken, not fit for purpose.'
The incident occurred last October when Mr Brennan heard a shout and saw a man sprinting past with a backpack. He followed in his car, confronted the suspect, and then discreetly trailed him while speaking to a 999 operator. He said he drove at less than 5mph and was extremely careful. The Mail on Sunday has campaigned for tougher action on shoplifting, which costs stores £1 billion a year.
