Mum stole meat, fish and cutlery in raid on Sainsbury's

Marissa Young, 50, of Bedale Street, Hetton, tried to make off with £187 of goods from the store at The Galleries in Washington on Tuesday, January 21.

South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court heard the items were recovered but could not be resold due to being removed from the chill cabinet.

During the same spree, she pinched £300 of Marks & Spencer gift vouchers from Argos, within the Sainsbury’s outlet.

She did so when the assistant, who wanted her to sign up to a credit card, went away from the counter, it was said.

Prosecutor Kirstie Devine said: “She has gone behind the counter in Argos and selected £300 of vouchers. They were recovered.

“Before that, the defendant and another person have committed a theft from Sainsbury’s. It’s made up of cutlery, meat and fish

“The goods could not be resold because they had been taken from the chillers.”

The court heard Young had 38 previous convictions including a number for theft.

Neil Hodgson, defending, said Young had gone to The Galleries with her second cousin, Scott Barron – and had not known he was going to shoplift.

But he admitted she had become embroiled in the crime during the course of the trip.

He added: “She says that she wasn’t aware that he was going to go shoplifting. She had a kind of grandma bag in her trolley.

“She went to Argos. The female assistant was dealing with her for a credit card and went into the back, she picked up the gift cards.

“The gift cards were recovered but the fish, I’m not sure what kind of contamination there was.

“The male was given a caution, his case has been dealt with.”

Young, who pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to burglary other than a dwelling at Argos and to shop theft from Sainsbury’s, was given a 12-month community order with a requirement of 15 days rehabilitation work with the Probation Service.

The mum-of-two was fined £50 and must pay £94.87 compensation to Sainsbury’s and £85 court costs and a £90 victim surcharge.