A prolific offender from Clacton has been jailed for more than four years for 20 offences over two counties.

Scott Warner, 31, of London Road, appeared at Ipswich Crown Court on January 17 where he received one year and three months for theft and three years and four months for handling stolen goods, to run consecutively.

He also received concurrent sentences for three counts of fraud, one count of burglary and making off without payment, seven counts of theft and six counts of handling stolen goods.

Warner received no separate penalty for failing to surrender and five further offences will remain on file.

In total, he was jailed for four years and seven months.

The case involved offences from June 2017 and August 2019 and involved offences across Essex and Suffolk.

The reports started off with fuel and car thefts in Colchester and Tendring districts and ended with a burglary at Sainsbury’s in St John’s Road, Clacton, on 16 August last year where he stole items worth at least £1,000. 

Warner was arrested on 19 August 2019 at a hotel in Capel St Mary and remanded in court custody.

Investigating officer DC Mike Evans, of Clacton CID, said: “Warner showed a complete disregard for dozens of victims by stealing their possessions for his own gain.

“His pattern of offending varied - on occasions he would steal high powered cars and then on others, vehicles such as a scout club mini bus.

“There was a man hunt for Warner and he was certainly surprised when he knocked on his hotel room door.

"Warner is a prolific offender who will spend more time locked in prison cell for his actions."

A 32-year-old woman and 28-year-old man, from Clacton, were arrested on Sunday 18 August on suspicion of theft of a vehicle and assisting an offender and they have been released under investigation.