'˜Blaming a child is not an excuse for theft'

Karen Bernadette Lennon, Mullacreevie Road, Armagh, admitted stealing children’s toys from Tesco on February 7 this year.

The court heard that police received a report from Tesco in Meadow Lane, Portadown of the theft of a Wacky String and a toy helicopter.

The defendant had taken the helicopter out of its box and given it to a child. As she left the store she did not pay.

When spoken to by police she said she had been at a party and that’s where she got the string and she could not remember how the helicopter got with the other shopping.

Her solicitor explained she had been at a birthday party in McDonalds and in Tesco her child was playing up and she didn’t want to say no to him.

He added that she had previous convictions for shoplifting but they were of some vintage although she had received a caution in 2018 for stealing food from a shop.

District Judge, Mr Paul Copeland, said that blaming a child was not an excuse for theft and with her record she required to be more vigilant.

He added her record went back a sufficient period but it resumed in January of this year when she was cautioned for two counts of theft.

Judge Copeland imposed a conditional discharge for two years.