Man found woman with stolen bag

A MAN whose bag was stolen from his car chased a woman along Derby’s Normanton Road when he caught her with it.

Rochelle Hewitt, 30, denied it was his and ran off along Normanton Road before throwing it away in the street.

Prosecuting solicitor Sarah Haslam told the court Hewitt admitted she had the bag in her possession when interviewed by police following the incident last year on November 7. It had been stolen from a car two days before the incident.

In her defence Asif Munir said Hewitt claimed only to have received the bag from a friend and did not actually steal it herself.

He said: “I think it’s fair to say Miss Hewitt was associating with the wrong crowd at that time. She has also had some difficulties with illicit substances. She tells me she has an appointment for methadone.”

Hewitt appeared in custody at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court because she had failed to attend an earlier hearing.

The court heard police sent a letter to an address she was no longer living at to request her attendance – she is now staying at the Ascot Hotel in Osmaston Road – so she was arrested on Tuesday, January 8.

Hewitt admitted handling stolen goods. Chair of the bench Jacqueline Storer delayed sentencing until February 4.