Mum who ran up £2.5k drug debt caught stealing £4k of perfume
A mum who ran up a four-figure drugs debt found herself in court after she stole over £4,000 of fragrances and cosmetics from Boots stores.
Jade MacBeth, 26, stole six timeswhileunderthecoercive control of her ex-partner and another man, a court was told.
They repeatedly drove her to the retailer’s two outlets in Catterick Garrison, North Yorks, and set her to work, magistrates in South Tyneside heard.
She struck six times between October and December 2020, making off with mainly high-value Max Factor, Maybelline, Rimmel and L’Oreal products.
At the time, the mother-oftwowassubjecttoacommunityorderfortheftinSunderland andwasbannedfromeveryTK Maxx shop in the land.
MacBeth swiped £1,841 of stockfromBoots’PrincesGate Shopping Centre outlet for the first offence of her spree on Thursday, October 1.
She returned to the same branch four more times – taking goods valued at £263 on Saturday, October 10, £381 on Friday, October 16, £1,231 on Monday, November 23, and £215 on Wednesday, December 16.
Andshealsostoleitemsvalued at £100 from the retailer’s Market Place premises in the sametown,alsoonOctober10.
Prosecutor Paul Anderson said: “These are large value shop thefts, primarily of cosmetics, fragrances and makeup.
We’re talking about large amounts of products stolen. It comes to some £4,000.”
MacBeth, of Brickgarth, Easington Lane, had initially denied the allegations but changedherpleatoguiltytosix shoptheftsashertrialloomed.
Syed Ahmed, defending, said jobless MacBeth had suffered a torturous upbringing which included being taken into care and the death of her mum.
He added: “Unfortunately, hermumwasintodrugswhich had a huge impact on the defendant’s life. She started taking cocaine and crack cocaine.
“Sheenteredintoacoercive relationshipandwasthevictim of a number of assaults.
“She made significant improvements to her life but accumulated a £2,500 drug debt and to pay she was being exploited.”
MacBeth was sentenced to an 18-month community order, with 25 rehabilitation days, six months of drug rehabilitation and 100 hours of unpaid work. She was ordered to pay compensation of £4,033 to Boots.