A thief who stole more than £7,700 worth of cosmetics from a Boots store in St Albans has been jailed.
Daniel Mcdonagh, 21, of Ringlet Road, Hemel Hempstead, was sentenced to 26 weeks in prison at St Albans Magistrates’ Court on 25 September.
The court heard that Mcdonagh stole cosmetics worth £7,761 from the city centre Boots on 10 April 2024.
He had initially pleaded not guilty in March but was later convicted.
Magistrates said the offences were “so serious that only a custodial sentence can be justified,” citing Mcdonagh’s “flagrant disregard for people and their property.”
No order was made for court costs or a victim surcharge.
The case comes as shoplifting has become an increasing concern in St Albans.
In January 2025, the city recorded 100 shoplifting crimes, making it Hertfordshire’s worst major town for the offence.
Overall, St Albans saw a crime rate of 69 offences per 1,000 people in 2025. That figure is 16% higher than the Hertfordshire average.
While the city is statistically the safest major town in the county, shoplifting and robbery have been persistent problems.
Violence and sexual offences remain the most common crimes, with 1,745 cases reported in 2025.
The sentencing also highlights a wider pattern of targeted thefts against Boots stores across the country.
Earlier this year, prolific shoplifter Liam Hutchinson, 31, was jailed after stealing more than £100,000 worth of goods from Boots outlets in Chelsea and Kensington between May and August.
Hutchinson carried out 99 offences in just three months, focusing on electrical items and razors.
He was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
He was also given a 10-year Criminal Behaviour Order banning him from every Boots store in the UK.
In addition, he was barred from entering Chelsea and Kensington for five years.
Sgt Jack Vine of the Met Police said Hutchinson’s sentence “should act as a warning” to those who “terrorise retail workers and cost businesses thousands of pounds.”
Retail theft has become a growing issue nationally, with police forces under pressure to clamp down on shoplifting that costs businesses millions every year.
In St Albans and across Hertfordshire, repeated thefts threaten not just local businesses but also frontline staff, who often face intimidation and abuse.
For Boots, one of the UK’s largest high street chains, these high-value thefts highlight the scale of organised and repeat shoplifting.
Cases such as those in St Albans and west London show how retail crime can range from single high-value incidents to sustained, systematic campaigns.
As Mcdonagh begins his 26-week prison term, many businesses in Hertfordshire hope the sentence will serve as a deterrent.
But many fear shoplifting will remain a persistent challenge, both in St Albans and across the region and UK at large for local communities and retailers alike.
