It’s the most common crime in London with 235,744 thefts last year and 23,623 thefts in January alone. But with detection rates around the 1 in 10 mark whoever gets convicted for stealing?

Here are some of the people convicted of thefts at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court, one of the main magistrates courts for south London, in the past week, and the details of how they were dealt with.

Kenneth Burns, aged 45, of Parkview Drive, Mitcham. Stole a chainsaw and a hedge trimmer worth £320 from Homebase in South Wimbledon on January 26. He was sent to prison for 16 weeks and ordered to pay £80 after pleading guilty as he was already on a community order of unpaid work, which he had not done. He had stolen a £200 North Face jacket from Blacks in Wimbledon Broadway on February 16 last year, and two coats worth £310 from the same Blacks on March 26.

Beverley Henry, aged 45, of Hargrave Road, Islington. Stole a woman’s driving licence and debit card at Cafe Nero in Upper Richmond Road in September and used it to commit fraud at Santander Putney to get £1,000. This was two months after she had been given a suspended prison sentence by an Essex court for stealing three bank cards in Chelmsford. Henry pleaded guilty on February 26 and was ordered to pay costs of £40. She was given another suspended prison sentence, this time for 18 weeks, but suspended for 12 months, and ordered to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work.

Earl Braithwaite, aged 45, of Charlotte Despard Avenue, Battersea Park. Admitted stealing three bottles of wine worth £21.90 from the Queenstown Shell station Waitrose on June 22 last year. He was ordered to stay in the courthouse until the end of the day, fined £100 and ordered to pay £20 victim surcharge, to go into a central pot and be redistributed to victims of crime. There was no compensation ordered as he was deemed to be of limited financial circumstances.

Michelle Lawrence, aged 48, of Durnsford Road, Wimbledon. Stole £22 worth of chocolate from the BP in Kingston Road, on January 31. She was due to be sentenced on February 27, also for a separate driving offence, after having a drug rehabilitation requirement assessment.

A 15-year-old from Mitcham, who cannot be named as he is under the age of 18. Broke into a house in Berkshire Way in Mitcham on August 25 last year and stole jewellery and two iPads worth a total of £10,300. He also stole dog grooming clippers worth £200 from a house in West Moreland Way, Mitcham, on August 6 last year. He pleaded guilty to both. He was referred to the Merton youth offender panel for 11 months. His mum and dad have to attend meetings with the panel. He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £15.

Joshua Morris, 25, of Harbridge Avenue on the Alton estate in Roehampton. Stole a Nokia phone, car keys and £300 cash at Putney Leisure Centre on December 14, 2013. He initially had said he was not guilty but changed his plea when the offence was amended. Given a conditional discharge for 12 months, and ordered to pay £50 costs to the Crown Prosecution Service, a £15 victim surcharge and pay back £20 a fortnight.

Dean Hallifax, 23, of Thames Avenue in Worcester Park. Stole £14,000 lead from the roof of the Grange in Morden, owned by housing association Merton Priory Homes, on November 12. Two days later stole another £14,000 worth of lead from the same building. Tried to go back four days later. He admitted three counts of theft and was due to be sentenced on March 3.

Andrzej Urban, 34, who also goes by the name Andrzej Ulbin and who gave an address of Kingston Churches Action on Homelessness offices in Fife Road. Stole two bottles of wine worth £15.50 from Richmond Road Sainsburys on January 26, five items of clothing from Primark worth £49 on February 18 last year, all while he was subject to a conditional discharge. Due to be sentenced on March 13 after an alcohol treatment requirement assessment.

Kirsty Homer, 36, of Kellett Road, Brixton. Stole two bottles of perfume worth £136.50 from Debenhams, Clapham Junction, and stole two bottles of alcohol from Waitrose in St John’s Road, on July 3. She denied the first offence, but was found guilty after a trial, but admitted the Waitrose theft. She will be sentenced on March 6, with all options open.

A 17-year-old from West Croydon. Denied stealing a bicycle wheel and an Oyster card in the borough of Wandsworth on October 12, and stole a carton of engine oil from Putney Halfords on November 6, and being on the back of a stolen Piaggio scooter in Carslake Road on August 16 last year. Given a detention and training order for four months for the theft offences and others, which also included an assault on a woman in Putney High Street, and not complying with previous rehabilitation orders, and not answering bail. His parent/guardian was given as a Roehampton social worker, although his father attended.

Adrian Fontin, 37, also known as Adrian Fortin, Frantin and Frontin, and who gave an address of Yelverton Road, near Clapham Junction. Admitted stealing 10 ladies jumpers worth £280 from Marks & Spencer’s in St John’s Road. Will be sentenced on March 4 after a drug rehabilitation requirement assessment.

Robert Mackay, 30, of Merrit Gardens, Chessington. Pleaded guilty to stealing three knives worth £49.97 from Lakeland in Thames Street, Kingston, on December 19. Curfewed for three months and electronically tagged. Ordered to pay £60 victim surcharge.

Francis Underdown, 51, of Kew Road, Richmond. Admitted stealing a bottle of wine worth £5.99 from Waitrose in Sheen Road, Richmond on August 22 and, at Kingston police station, using threatening or abusive words or behaviour. Also stole a £6 pair of shoes from Primark Kingston on August 24 and was drunk and disorderly in Holly Road, Twickenham on February 10. Due to be sentenced after alcohol treatment assessment.

Pawel Wegrzyn, 31, of Commonwealth Drive, Crawley. Admitted stealing two sets of headphones worth £24 from Vodafone, in the Bentall Centre, Kingston, on January 9. Due to be sentenced.

A 15-year-old of no fixed address, but whose parent or guardian lives in Camden. Pleaded guilty to breaking into a home in Pelham Road, Wimbledon, on November 15 and stealing four necklaces and foreign currency to the value of £400. He also admitted stealing two bottles of alcohol from Tooting High Street Sainsburys on February 20, and robbing £20 from a person in Mitcham Road, Tooting on December 14.

The teenager was sent to Stratford Magistrates' Court for sentencing. He was kept in custody before that due to his history of committing crimes while on bail.

A 17-year-old from Camden. Stole two bottles of alcohol worth £80 from Tooting Sainsburys on February 20. Due to be sentenced on March 4.

Detection rates for theft and handling 2013/14

Croydon 10%

Kingston upon Thames 18%

Merton 11%

Richmond upon Thames 11%

Sutton 16%

Wandsworth 8%

Met Police overall 10%