Sunderland shoplifter stole more than £1,100 of goods from B&M and tried to steal more from Lidl

Reforming heroin addict Keighley Marrs, 36, took £1,147 of toiletries and gift sets from B&M’s Hylton Retail Park store between November 30 and February 12.

Marrs, of Oxford Street, Pallion, was caught when she was linked to CCTV from previous offences, magistrates in South Tyneside heard.

She also attempted to steal two bottles of pink gin and two packs of steak from Lidl’s outlet in Durham Road, also Sunderland, on Thursday, April 1.

The mother-of two, who was on a suspended sentence for other matters, was nabbed at the checkouts after placing some of the items down her trousers.

Magistrates jailed her for 16 weeks after being told by prosecutor John Graham she had a criminal record of 19 previous convictions for 48 offences.

They also criticised her for failing to engage with the court system, including disobeying previous orders and failing to work with the Probation Service.

Mr Graham told the hearing: “A witness at work at Lidl became suspicious of this defendant.

“She picked up two bottles of pink gin and kept zig-zagging between the food aisles.

“At the checkout, she pulled out a bottle of gin which had foil around the security tag.

“She had two bottles hidden in her bag and two packs of steak hidden down her bottoms.”

Mr Graham said a supervisor at B&M reviewed CCTV and linked Marrs to the disappearance of £1,147 of items, which also included alcohol and food.

He said 31 of Marrs’ previous offences were for fraud or dishonesty.

Angus Westgarth, defending, said Marrs had suffered the blow of her partner dying in December which had resulted in her benefits being stopped.

He added: “She only received her first payment on April 22.

“Her son’s 18th birthday was looming, she fell into her old habit of trying to get something for him.

“There was nothing sophisticated, and she’s facing the music.”

Marrs pleaded guilty to attempted theft from Lidl and theft from B&M.

She was jailed for 16 weeks for both offences, to run concurrently, and ordered to pay B&M £1,147 compensation, and a £128 victim surcharge.

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