Shoplifter admits £4,500 thieving spree
A WOMAN has pleaded guilty to a mammoth shoplifting spree involving more than a dozen raids on stores in Ballymena and at Antrim’s Junction One complex, where she bagged more than £4,500 worth of goods.
Julie Adair (43), of Rockfield Heights, Connor, appeared in the dock at Ballymena Magistrates Court yesterday.
Items taken in the huge haul included bras.
Figures shown on the charge sheet, which dated most of the offences as May 13 this year, totalled more than £4,500, but she also took 40 perfumes and 100 items of toiletries of unknown me. I asked her who was on the phone and she said it was the Princess of Wales. I said out loud: ‘Get out of here!’ But Wendy insisted it was.
“I held the phone to my ear and I immediately recognised value which could not be linked to the stores they were stolen from.
She pleaded guilty to 16 charges of theft.
They included food worth £117 from M&S in the Fairhill Centre in Ballymena; two bras worth £50 from the same store; clothing worth £1,705 from M&S, and £63 worth of items from B&M in Braidwater Retail Park in Ballymena.
They also included clothing worth £90 from Pep&Co, Junction One; items worth £105 from H&M, Fairhill, and clothing and jewellery worth £571 from Peacocks in Ballymena.
And there were offences related to the theft of toiletries from Boots in the Tower Centre, Ballymena; clothing and perfume worth £429 from Debenhams, Fairhill; clothing worth £110 from Sports Direct, Fairhill; a hair accessory worth £31 from Claire’s; £1,067 worth of clothing from Next, Junction One, and shoes worth £74 from Sainsbury’s in Ballymena.
Adair took clothing worth £96 from TK Maxx in Ballymena, and approximately 40 bottles of perfume of unknown value from unknown persons and 100 items of toiletries of an unknown amount taken from unknown persons, which were found in four large bags by police.
Adair was represented by defence barrister Ben Thompson.
Sentencing was adjourned until late August.