Mums On £1500 Shoplifting Spree 'Thought They Could Get Away It'

By Zainab Pervez in News On 10th August 2021
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Sarah Boardman, 35, and Natalie Graham, 34, stole items including clothing, children's outfits and homeware from a Next store in Handforth Dean, near Stockport, Greater Manchester, between January 31 and February 7 last year.

In one incident staff at the branch found at least 35 discarded security tags on the floor after the pair ran out with £400 worth of goods. 

Credit: Metro UK

The best friends, who carried out the shoplifting after another mother showed them how to escape without being detected, were finally arrested after they were spotted hiding behind a Range Rover before jumping into their red VW Golf getaway car.

They drove off but it is thought police were given their car registration number. 

At Stockport magistrates court, mother-of-three Boardman, of Bowdon near Altrincham, and mother-of-four Graham, of Sale, each admitted three charges of theft but claimed the total value of the items were £700.

Credit: Metro UK

Both were each ordered to pay £650 in compensation and will be electronically tagged for ten weeks as part of a 9 pm-6 am curfew. 

They were further ordered to each complete 12-month community orders and pay £175 in costs. It is thought their jobs as carers are now in jeopardy. 

Inquiries revealed the two women had been involved in three shoplifting sprees in the space of a week and investigators subsequently examined CCTV footage which captured the pair as they repeatedly sneaked in and out of store without paying for various consumer items

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The incidents took place between January 31 and February 7 last year after the pair went on days out to the retail park where Next has a £75,000 square foot fashion and home store. 

Michelle Julien a loss prevention officer at Next, said: 'On January 31 they entered the store at 11.42am and they left at 11.57am before re-entering again at 12.03pm and then leaving again at 12,17pm.

'They went to the homeware section first and took a large laundry basket, two mirrors, a man's coat, two pairs of lady's pyjamas, three men's trousers, a bath mat, slippers, girls outfits and other items.

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'They took £255 worth the first time they entered the store before taking this to their car and then stole £245 worth of items in the child wear section when they re-entered.

'On February 5, they entered at 1.28pm and returned to their car for 1.40pm. They then re-entered the store for the second time and left at 1.58pm without making any payment.  

'On the first occasion, they used a Next shopping trolley and fitted numerous items from the homeware department in it including one large black cuddly toy leopard, a small cuddly black toy leopard, pictures and mirrors.

'When they took the trolley back to the car, they returned with the in-store Next shopping bags and they were on route to the children's wear department when I noticed them.

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'I returned to the front of the store and looked at the CCTV to find they were hiding behind a Range Rover. 

'On the second occasion coming into the store, they took children's wear and ladies wear. 

'On February 7, they entered the store at 1.32 pm and again left without making payment. They targeted the same items of pyjamas etc again. 

'I could see that they were taking the security tags off the items. I found a total of 35 pins & security tags in one corner. 

Michelle Julien, who works in Next’s loss prevention department, estimated they took at least 37 items.

She said: ‘It only takes one second to de-tag an item – there could have been more tags.’

Credit: Metro UK

Defending herself, Graham said: ‘I was de-tagging, but saying I removed 35 tags is just ridiculous.

‘There was not enough time to remove 35 tags in one minute. We were not looking for the tags, we were just picking up the items we wanted as we were not selling them. The price of the items was irrelevant to us.’

Their defense lawyer Lucy Crossman said: ‘They had a friend who did it and she was effectively showing off because she had been taking items from the store for her child.

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‘They were not caught at first and they thought they could get away with it again.’

She added: ‘This was a blip and this is not going to happen again. But they will now be unable to get a job with this on their record.

‘Up until now, they have both had stable careers as carers. They will have to find other employment.’

Boardman told the court she was ‘going through a hard time financially in my life at the time’.

She said: ‘I have had an operation on my back so I am quite poorly and I have had a lot going on.’

They were ordered to pay £825 in compensation and costs, and have a curfew for two months.