Jail for serial thief banned from every shop in town
A DRUG addict grandmother claimed she ‘forgot’ she was banned from every shop in Birmingham city centre when she stole an £89 M&S handbag.
Debra Shaw, who previously lived at a Salvation Army base in Shadwell Street in the city centre has 65 previous convictions for 150 offences and was described as having “the most dreadful criminal record” by a judge.
The 60-year-old made a desperate plea to stay out of prison for her latest crimes by explaining her guilt over her son who “keeps giving her chances” only for her to “throw it back in his face”.
But, after she admitted breaching a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) twice in two days and a charge of theft, she was jailed for 12 months at Birmingham Crown Court.
Shaw was made subject of a CBO in April 2017 which banned her from entering shops in Birmingham city centre and Kings Heath High Street. A further CBO was made this year which expires in March 2023 but she has breached them on 24 occasions.
In court Shaw mumbled “sometimes I forget” in reference to the CBOs, to which Judge Dean Kershaw replied: “You don’t forget, you steal to make money for drugs.”
On July 14 this year Shaw entered Superdrug in Birmingham city centre, ignoring the order again. The following day she returned to the city centre, committing a further breach, before being caught by Business Improvement District patrol officers outside Marks & Spencer after stealing an £89 handbag.
Naomi Nelson-Cofie, prosecuting, read out a statement from M&S manager Helen Thorpe, who said thefts were “disheartening for staff” and created a
“bad public perception because more people think they can come and steal from the store”.
Theresa Hunt, defending, said Shaw had been in a “protracted cycle of drug misuse and acquisitive offending in order to fund it”.
She told the court the grandmother, who has never met her two grandchildren, had no reason to stay in Birmingham after splitting with her husband and wanted to move to London to be closer to her family.
Ms Hunt also stated that due to newly-diagnosed health conditions, further drug use by Shaw could prove to be fatal and added: “She has a renewed determination to refrain from drug use and abstain from offending.”
But Judge Dean Kershaw told the defendant she had “the most dreadful criminal record”, adding “there can only be one type of sentence”.
He said: “I do believe you are sorry for appearing in court – but you must have said that every time you have appeared and it has not been enough for you to change your ways.”