Jay Langley, 38, from Ellenborough Road in Sidcup, has escaped a prison sentence after pleading guilty to multiple thefts, including stealing charity boxes from various businesses. Langley, a repeat offender, has operated across the boroughs of Bexley and Bromley, targeting supermarkets and cafes in his latest crime spree.

His most recent thefts included stealing a charity box from Costa Coffee in Orpington on July 2, £140 worth of meat from Asda in Swanley on July 10, and £200 of alcohol from Morrisons in Welling on May 26. Additionally, Langley was caught driving while disqualified and without insurance in Welling.

Appearing at Bexley Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, September 18, Langley was handed a one-year community order, including a requirement to undergo drug rehabilitation activity. For the next six months, he must provide samples to demonstrate that he is drug-free.

Langley is no stranger to the law, having faced multiple convictions in the past. Last November, he was jailed for 15 months for a series of thefts that saw him steal from charity shops, pharmacies, and a plumber’s store across the Bexley borough. This included swiping cash from the tills at a Sense charity shop in Erith and Scope charity shop in Welling, as well as stealing a charity box from Aspire Pharmacy in Sidcup.

In 2018, Langley led police on a high-risk car chase, during which he swerved over the central reservation and into the path of an oncoming vehicle, causing a minor collision. For that offence, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison and banned from driving for three years.

Despite his lengthy criminal record, Langley has avoided jail this time and will undergo rehabilitation in an attempt to break his cycle of offending.