Jacqueline Leach, 62, of Route de Bas Courtils, St Saviour’s, admitted counts of theft, and using a motor vehicle without insurance or a driving licence. The case related to five separate incidents that had similar circumstances but which were incorporated in single charges.
The Magistrate’s Court was told that on each occasion, Leach had gone to the Coop store at Rue de Landes, Forest.
She put some goods in a shopping trolley that she pushed around the store and some in a shopping bag that she placed in the trolley. Before leaving she paid for the goods in the trolley but not those in the shopping bag. The total value of the goods that she stole was £154.
CCTV was examined and she was identified by the registration number from her vehicle. She initially denied the thefts in interview and said she had no reason not to pay for anything. When shown the CCTV, she said that some of the footage must be missing. She said she had been driving a family member’s car and they had not known that she was doing it. She had a previous conviction for dishonesty from 2016.
Defending, Advocate Candy Fletcher said her client had bought the car for the family member and she had not been able to afford the insurance. She was remorseful, ashamed and embarrassed at what she had done and had had several difficulties in her life in recent months.
Judge Marc Davies said he noted that one of the effects the defendant was worried about was the embarrassment that this offending would cause her. This was something he could not take into account and it raised a question over her insight.
He said he wanted to support shops and people against shoplifting.
His sentencing had to be limited to the single charges which the defendant faced, but all were matters of ‘utter selfishness’, he said.
He ordered her to perform 80 hours’ community service, concurrent on each offence as a direct alternative to two months in prison. She must pay the Co-op £154 in compensation for the theft. For using a motor vehicle without insurance she was banned from driving for two years.