The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Shoplifter was arrested for theft on way to court
Jail term for woman who asked court staff to help her remove security tag from stolen jacket
A shoplifter who stopped off on her way to court to steal a jacket has been jailed for 90 days.
Darlene Mullen was wearing the stolen coat when she arrived at Perth Sheriff Court yesterday to be sentenced in relation to other shoplifting charges and she was caught on camera asking court security staff to help her remove the security tag from the stolen clothing to put it in the bin.
Defence solicitor David Holmes asked for a community sentence for Mullen as he said she was on the right track towards dealing with her criminal behaviour.
However, Sheriff Lindsay Foulis said: “Let me stop you right there. She was supposed to be here at 10 am on September 19 to be sentenced by my brother sheriff for shoplifting.
“At 10.25am she stopped off on her way here to steal a coat from Primark. You can hardly tell me that is her being on the right track.”
He said he had no option but to jail Mullen after she admitted stopping off to steal the coat from Primark after being caught cold during Storm Ali last month.
Mullen, 26, had already been spotted on CCTV and was recognised by her distinctive red wellington boots so she was arrested on the court steps.
The court was told last month that she was unable to appear because she had been arrested a short time before her case called. She then appeared from custody and admitted stealing clothing from Primark on September 19, while she was on bail. She also admitted being in possession of heroin worth £100 when she was arrested.
Depute fiscal Carol Whyte told the court: “The item was valued at £25. When the accused was arrested at court she was wearing the jacket. Although it was not in a re-saleable condition, I doubt she still has it.”
She said Mullen was also carrying five wraps of heroin worth around £100 when she turned up at court.
Co-accused Natalie Radunski, 22, also appeared from custody alongside Mullen and admitted stealing items of clothing from Primark.
A court source said: “It takes some nerve to stop off on the way to court to steal a jacket because you haven’t dressed warm enough to cope with the storm.
“It was absolutely tipping down when they arrived at court and Darlene hadn’t even taken the label and price tag off the jacket she had stolen.
“To hand the tags over to the security staff on the door at the court might not have been the brightest idea she ever had.
“There was already an alert out for her after she was spotted leaving Primark and her bright red wellies made it pretty easy for police to identify her.”
Radunski, also of Nimmo Place, Perth, was jailed for four months.
She stopped off on her way here to steal a coat from Primark. You can hardly tell me that is her being on the right track. SHERIFF LINDSAY FOULIS