Sunderland thief caught swiping £1,000 of Gucci perfumes and aftershave from Fenwick store

Natalie Keegan, 38, put the boxed goods in a bag but was nabbed by security staff as she left the Fenwick store, in Northumberland Street, on Sunday, March 13.

It was one of three offences that brought Keegan, of Tower Street West, Hendon, before a judge at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court.

Prosecutor Glenda Beck said the light-fingered defendant was also found using a stolen bank card at 3am on Saturday, November 27.

The card and a mobile phone had been pinched during a burglary at a Sunderland care home – with no evidence to tie her to that crime.

And on Wednesday, January 12, she was stopped as she fled Asda’s supermarket in Coronation Street, South Shields, with a packed trolley.

Deputy District Judge Gareth Williams heard the offences were committed due to a drug habit Keegan developed after the death of her partner.

Of the Fenwick theft, Mrs Beck said: “CCTV showed the defendant making her way to the Gucci perfume counter.

“She picked up 13 boxes of perfumes and aftershaves which she concealed in her handbag. She was detained.”

The court heard the midnight care home burglary resulted in Keegan taking possession of an employee’s phone and card.

Police caught Keegan in the act of using the card three hours later, accompanied by a man who was not charged.

Mrs Beck revealed the Asda theft happened at 8pm, and all items had been recovered by staff.

Keegan, who has a single theft conviction from 2017, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft from a shop and one of handling stolen goods.

Gerry Armstrong, defending, admitted his client had “drifted into a criminal culture that’s drug orientated” after her partner’s death around five years ago.

He said she was seeking support to overcome her drug habit from a specialist Sunderland service.

Judge Williams sentenced Keegan to a 12-month community order, with 25 rehabilitation days and a nine-month drug rehabilitation order.

She was ordered to pay the care home worker £50 compensation.

There were no court costs.