Man jailed for 12 months and banned from Falmouth town centre

A man who spent months breaking into parked cars and spending other people’s money has finally been told he cannot set foot in the town he targeted.

A familiar face in court

Michael Ainsworth, 34, of no fixed abode in Falmouth, was jailed for 12 months at Truro Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 21st May. He had pleaded guilty to 24 offences in total.

The sentencing followed work by the Falmouth Neighbourhood team and the Neighbourhood Support team.

The court heard that Michael had interfered with vehicles on numerous occasions across the Falmouth area, and used bank cards stolen from inside some of them to go on spending sprees.

This was not his first time before a court. Michael was jailed back in January after being convicted of a sustained pattern of criminal activity involving vehicle theft, vehicle interference and other theft-related offences. He committed these offences across Falmouth, targeting parked vehicles and exploiting opportunities where security measures were limited. The offending caused significant disruption and financial loss to victims and generated concern within the local community.

Banned from the town centre

At the sentencing hearing, magistrates varied an existing Criminal Behaviour Order that had previously been issued to Michael. The order now includes a town centre exclusion ban.

It prevents him from:

1. Entering or attempting to enter any vehicle without the express consent of the registered keeper or owner, unless it is a taxi, a form of public transport, or an emergency service vehicle.
2. Being in possession of any bank cards in the name of another person without their permission.
3. Attending any Cash Generator or cash broker store to sell goods.
4. Entering Falmouth Town.

What the police said

Neighbourhood Team Leader Sergeant Chris Vincent said: “We welcome the sentence given to Michael Ainsworth who has continued to offend time and time again despite previous sentences and court orders.

“Ainsworth will spend a period of time behind bars, and when he is released he will be subject of a CBO designed to prevent him from offending in the future.

“Any breach of a CBO is a criminal offence and will likely result in the offender being sentenced again.

“We are pleased that Ainsworth has been prevented from entering Falmouth, a town whose residents have suffered at his hands for far too long.”

How to protect your vehicle

Police have shared advice to reduce the risk of vehicle theft or interference:

• Always lock your vehicle, even if leaving it for a short time
• Remove keys from the ignition and never leave spare keys inside the car
• Close windows and sunroofs fully
• Do not leave valuables on display, so remove bags, coats, tools and electronics
• Park in well-lit, busy areas or use a garage where possible
• Use additional security such as steering wheel locks, immobilisers or tracking devices
• Keep keys secure at home, away from doors and windows, and consider a Faraday pouch for keyless vehicles
• Report damaged locks or suspicious tampering immediately

Reporting crime

Members of the public can report information or suspicious activity in the following ways:

• Emergency (crime in progress or immediate danger): call 999
• Non-emergency police matters: call 101 or report online via your local police force website
• Anonymous reporting: Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or report anonymously online with no personal details required

Police are encouraging anyone with information relating to vehicle crime to come forward, adding that every report helps keep communities safe.