A man has been charged with 21 offences after an off-duty officer arrested him in London Road, Southend, earlier this week.
Carl Weighman, 42, of no fixed address, was detained on Monday 24 November after the officer recognised him and intervened. During the arrest, it was reported that the officer was assaulted. Police later linked Weighman to a series of incidents reported across the city over a seven-week crime spree period.
Detectives have now authorised 21 charges covering a wide range of alleged offending between 5 October and 25 November. The charges include:
• Two counts of burglary
• Two counts of public order offences
• Two counts of assaulting an emergency worker
• One count of common assault
• Two counts of fraud by false representation
• One count of criminal damage
• Two counts of theft
• Seven counts of theft from a shop
• One count of theft from a motor vehicle
• One count of going equipped
The incidents are understood to involve separate reports from local retailers, residents and businesses, with investigators piecing together CCTV, witness accounts and stolen property claims to build the case.
Weighman was due to appear at Southend Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 26 November.
A shopworker on London Road, who asked not to be named, said the arrests in the area have been a talking point among traders. They added: “It’s been tense for a while with a lot of reports going around. We’re hoping this means things will settle down.”