Cookham man jailed after stolen laptop found during Maidenhead stop-and-search

A Cookham man has been jailed for six months after officers found him carrying a stolen laptop during a stop-and-search on Maidenhead High Street.

Police received a report of a car theft on Wednesday, November 12, stating that several items, including a laptop, a mouse and a pair of headphones had been stolen from the vehicle overnight.

Sergeant Luke Jenkins and Inspector Natasha Gidda, from the Windsor and Maidenhead Neighbourhood Policing Team, were out on foot patrol in Maidenhead town centre at the time of the report.

The officers detained two men for a stop and search, one of whom had a carrier bag, in which several items, including a laptop, mouse, tablet and some business cards with the victim’s name, were found.

A call to the owner of the business cards helped officers connect the dots to the recent car theft, and officers reunited the stolen goods with the rightful owner on the same day.

Shane Lee Nicholls of Lesters Road, Cookham, was arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods and possession of a bladed article.

He was also overdue for an interview in relation to a burglary in October last year, where a man had been captured on CCTV entering the rear entrance of Sainsbury’s, stealing food.

Nicholls, 44, was handed a six-month jail sentence at Reading Magistrates' Court on Thursday, November 13.

He pleaded guilty on the same day to:

• One count of handling stolen goods
• One count of possession of a knife blade / sharp pointed article in a public place
• Burglary other than dwelling – theft

Sergeant Luke Jenkins, of the Maidenhead Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “This incident highlights the successful use of stop and search and foot patrolling by Neighbourhood Police.

“We were able to promptly reunite the victim with his lost items that he needed for work, before they were lost.

"We encourage people to report any theft from their motor vehicle, no matter how small, as this helps us identify emerging trends and identify offenders like Nicholls.”