A notorious shoplifter and retail menace was sent to jail after preying on an elderly woman and conning her out of money.
Lee Stuart has been subject to a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) since September 2017 which means he is banned from every branch of Co-op, McColls, Tesco and Asda in St Helens.
Now, the 31-year-old was handed time behind bars after he targeted an 87-year-old woman, pretending to be an official workman.
Stuart gave a made up name, wrongly told her she needed her gutters doing and charged her £50.
The St Helens man, of Fleet Lane, was locked up for 22 weeks on Friday, March 5, at Liverpool Magistrates Court after he admitted dishonestly making false representation and breaching his Criminal Behaviour Order.
Stuart has been on police's radar for some years after harassing staff in well-known chain stores along with a string of smaller independent stores.
His five year ban includes a total ban from businesses such as Schooner Wines, Cabelo Hair Studio, Caldo, Martins, One Stop and Taylor Pharmacy.
Shopkeepers at the time said Stuart used to "react badly and use threats or abuse" if his behaviour was challenged by people.
Back in 2017, staff working in premises across St Helens described how Stuart used to try and sneak into their stores wearing various disguises, even after he was told not to come back.
One worker said: "He has been banned from here for shoplifting mainly.
“He used to come in and take whatever he wanted like coffee or ham.
“We caught him a couple of times and told him to stop but let him away with it.
“It was only when we told him he was banned from the store he used to come in wearing disguises and used to try and sneak around.”
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One employee at a hair studio told how Stuart "actually threatened to attack my business partner and the person I pay the lease to.
“My business partner said if it carried on then he would leave and if that happened we would have lost the salon.”
