Policewoman accused of shoplifting told staff she had already paid for items

THE trial of a PSNI sergeant accused of “boldly and brazenly” shoplifting from an Asda store in Co Fermanagh twice in the runup to Christmas 2013 has heard that she told staff she had paid for her shopping.

Prosecution lawyer Jim Johnston has already told Dungannon Crown Court this was a “bluff” by Sergeant Linda Totten, who was arrested as she left the Enniskillen store that Christmas Eve.

The policewoman, whose address is given as c/o Enniskillen PSNI Station, denies two charges of theft — one for a trolley full of goods on December 20 and a second for taking over £155 worth of goods four days later.

The court also heard from security staff who stopped Ms Totten on Christmas Eve as she was leaving the store.

A former checkout operator who worked in the self-service area told the jury she had asked Totten to take her trolley to a manned checkout.

The assistant claimed Ms Totten refused “explaining she had

Denial: Linda Totten

paid for the bulk of the items in the trolley and was only paying for the items on top, and I said ‘Okay’, I then continued with my work”.

Later she said Ms Totten asked her about getting gift receipts for some items, and she told her this could only be done at the customer service counter.

The assistant said she processed “two or three” items for her before she left, leaving nothing behind.

Later, under cross-examination by defence barrister Liam McStay, the assistant rejected any suggestion that it had been her who directed Ms Totten to the self-service area or had “taken the lead” in bringing her to the area.

She also rejected claims Ms Totten had asked her about pyjamas or that she told her she was “feeling unwell and needed help”.

“No, that did not happen... I was not aware of any problems,” she told the court.

CCTV footage of Totten pushing her packed trolley into the store foyer was also shown to the jury, before she is pictured following a member of security staff with her trolley back into the store.

The security guard said Ms Totten was taken to the customer services counter and handed over a receipt, but it was apparent there were more goods in the trolley.

He said that the shopping was taken from the trolley and those items on the receipt were sorted out. The rest of the items were totalled before police were called. The court has already heard that over 70 items were scanned, totalling £156.81.

The case continues.