Court date for calendar thief
Woman caught stealing from store
A Raploch thief who nicked an advent calendar, hair straighteners and a computer game from a city supermarket was last week placed on supervision.
Lesley Gardiner, of Raploch Road, had also tried to enter homes in the housing scheme while “under the influence.”
The 34-year-old had admitted two charges of theft, and two charges of being found at addresses in Macpherson Drive, Raploch, in suspicious circumstances.
Fiscal depute Lindsey Brooks told Stirling Sheriff Court last Wednesday that on the afternoon of October 22 this year a Sainsbury’s Stirling member of staff saw the accused take a Lego advent calendar and put it into her handbag. The member of staff followed Gardiner out into the car park but did not catch her.
A few days later, Wednesday October 25 at 10am, the same member of staff saw Gardiner take hair straighteners and a computer game and conceal them in a bag before leaving the Drip Road store.
However on this occasion Gardiner was stopped and the stolen items recovered.
Ms Brooks pointed out that Gardiner was also seen by neighbours at 5.10pm that day entering the driveways of numbers 14 and 16 Macpherson Drive in Raploch
She said: “The accused was seen to be trying the doors of the houses, but was unsuccessful in opening them.
“The accused was seen acting suspiciously for a time at the properties. Police were contacted and attended. She was under the influence and taken to Forth Valley Hospital due to her condition.”
Her agent Ken Dalling told Sheriff Wyllie Robertson there had been “a degree of planning and premeditation” in the thefts from the supermarket, but added: “I hope that doesn’t detract from the life circumstances of Ms Gardiner mentioned in the criminal justice social work report.”
The Macpherson Drive offences were in a different category however. Mr Dalling explained: “She had taken valium and was disassociated because of that”.
The lawyer said that every criminal record was unique, but Ms Gardiner’s “particularly so”.
He also pointed out that Gardiner had been admonished on offences carried out between 2009 and 2014 bar one – and she had no other cases outstanding.
Sheriff Robertson imposed a community payback order comprising a year’s supervision as an alternative to custody. It had been reduced from 18 months due to her guilty plea.