Circumstantial evidence can get anyone a prison sentence whether they're guilty or not. The fact that they're hated and loathed and already committed petty crime is a starter.
For instance,there used to be a guy whose mother lived not far from here ( she's since moved because of intimidation by neighbours ) the son had been in and out of prison over a 30 year period for preying on the elderly.Say for instance there had been a murder in the area,the first person to name would have been him because he was hated among the community and I wouldn't have had a good word to say about him because of the sort of crime he was into.
He would naturally be arrested and because of it being true that folk want to see the back of him,they hope that what they have to say would be enough to send him away again. My word against his that I " saw him enter a building ?" Easy. Who would the police believe,him or me ?