Failed Sunderland thief caught with de-tagging magnet in foiled River Island raid

A bungling Sunderland heroin addict’s bid to steal handbags from a shop backfired when she triggered an alarm, a court heard.

Dawn Adamson, 53, had a magnet to remove security tags from items at River Island’s outlet in South Shields town centre.

But the carer, of Palmstead Road, Pennywell, was forced to flee when staff became aware of her ongoing crime on Tuesday, October 17.

They blocked her path and found a handbag stashed in her carrier bag and two others hidden about her person, prosecutor Paul Anderson said.

Police called to the scene also uncovered a magnet, used by thieves to remove security tags, in her possession.

Mr Anderson told South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court: “The offence is fairly straightforward. She entered the store and went into the changing rooms.

“An alarm went off and she was intercepted by staff. A handbag was found in her carrier bag, and the police were called.

“Two other handbags were found, and she was also in possession of a de-tagging device.”

Adamson pleaded guilty to charges of going equipped for burglary, theft from a shop and failing to surrender to custody on Tuesday, October 31.

In a report, the Probation Service said Adamson had admitted to using heroin for 26 years and to taking crack cocaine once a week.

It said she had made efforts to kick her drugs' habit from 2018 but had relapsed in June last year and committed the crimes to get cash.

Alastair Naismith, defending, said: “I think she has been making efforts, certainly since January. She has never been out of touch with us.

“She isn’t ignoring the issues. She knows she has a chaotic life, and she is trying to sort it out, but these things aren’t sorted out overnight.”

District Judge Zoe Passfield sentenced Adamson to a six-month community order, with 10 rehabilitation days’ work with the Probation Service.

She imposed no costs, but Adamson must pay a £114 victim surcharge, and she ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the magnet.

The judge told her: “You’ve been out of trouble for about four years and it’s a real shame to see you back in court.”