A member of a shoplifting gang dubbed the Spice Girls has avoided jail for her role in stealing thousands of pounds worth of clothes from London's West End. Nadine Wright, 31, of Enfield, was sentenced to 100 hours of unpaid work and a 12-month supervision order after admitting handling stolen goods at Southwark Crown Court.
The gang of six women stole from stores including Gap, Next and Oasis, piling the goods into bin bags before returning for more. Police witnessed the women sorting through the garments in a road off Oxford Street on October 2 last year, leading to their arrest. Clothing worth £15,000 was recovered.
Prosecutor Sally Fudge said the gang was organised into those who carried out the stealing and others who assisted in removing items. Judge James Wadsworth QC described the offending as "organised and professional shoplifting on a large scale" and a serious problem in the West End.
Two other gang members were sentenced to prison. Melissa Grant, 39, of west London, received 21 months for conspiracy to steal. Camille Gay, 30, of south west London, was sentenced to 16 months for conspiracy to steal plus four months for breaching suspended sentences. Both have numerous previous convictions.
Two further members, Jacqueline Thompson and Ola Ilesanmi, are due to be sentenced later. A sixth member, Angela Johnson, failed to appear in court. All women except Ilesanmi are from Jamaica.
