Three prolific County Durham shoplifters have been jailed for repeatedly targeting a Co-op store in Easington Colliery. Joanna Scott, Catherine Parkin and Zara Hawkins were sentenced after pleading guilty to multiple counts of shop theft and related offences.
Repeated thefts from Easington Colliery Co-op
The trio stole items such as chocolate, meat and coffee on several occasions over recent months, running into hundreds of pounds of losses for the store. Officers from the Easington Neighbourhood Policing Team arrested and brought them before the courts repeatedly.
Scott, 46, of Easington Colliery, pleaded guilty to three counts of shop theft at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court on August 10 and was sentenced to eight weeks in prison. Parkin, 38, of Stanley, pleaded guilty to seven counts of theft and seven breaches of a restraining order at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court on the same day, receiving an eight-month prison sentence.
Sentences and further proceedings
Hawkins, 40, of Easington Colliery, pleaded guilty to shop theft and breaching her Criminal Behaviour Order at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court on July 25, and was given a 12-week prison sentence. A fourth suspect, Aaron Kay, 36, of Peterlee, pleaded guilty to eight counts of shop theft from the same store at Peterlee Magistrates’ Court on July 30. He was remanded into custody and is expected to be sentenced at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court on August 19. Restraining orders for all four will be applied for.
Neighbourhood Inspector Mark Garfoot said: "Shop theft is not a victimless crime and we see the damage it does to our communities when businesses are repeatedly targeted by petty criminals like these." He added: "We are glad they have been put behind bars and will continue to relentlessly arrest and put before the courts, anyone who breaks the law on our patch."
