(Image: PA)
A woman fleeing domestic abuse turned to stealing “out of necessity” and now has a criminal record, York magistrates heard.
Kiera Riley, 30, stole groceries worth £1,595.31 from Sainsbury’s Monks Cross store in seven visits in just over a month, said Damian Walsh, prosecuting.
As she walked round the store with a scanner, she put the items she was stealing in the trolley without scanning them and then left without paying for them.
“She wasn’t stealing items to sell,” said Mr Walsh. “Most of the items were groceries and bedding rather than alcohol and meat.”
She had no previous convictions.
Defence solicitor Charlotte Haigh said Riley was in temporary accommodation that lacked essentials such as pillows and other fabrics.
“She has just separated form her partner and removed herself from domestic abuse,” she said.
Riley didn’t have enough money for the basics because her only income was universal credit, so she had stolen them.
“These offences were not being done out of her being selfish – all of them were done out of necessity,” she said.
Riley, who currently lives in York city centre, pleaded guilty to seven charges of theft and one of driving without insurance in Church Street on August 9.
She had no previous convictions.
Magistrates said the offences showed planning and had been escalating.
They asked probation officers to prepare a report on her before sentence is passed and adjourned her case until the end of October.
They released her on bail on condition she doesn’t enter Sainsbury’s in Monks Cross.
Mr Walsh said Riley’s first thieving visit was on July 7, when she stole groceries worth £43.40.
She returned on July 13, July 17, July 20, August 1, August 4 and August 5.
The total she stole grew from £102.27 on July 13 to £603.63 on August 5, when she was caught by staff who realised what she was doing and prevented her leaving with the goods she had selected.
They then checked back and identified the other occasions when she had been stealing from the store.
Ms Haigh said Riley had lost her clerical job in the NHS and was in a “completely new situation” after leaving her now former partner and moving into temporary accommodation.
She was waiting to be allocated social housing.
She used to have car insurance but could not afford the premium when the next payment date came.
But she couldn’t afford it and she needed to have a car for family reasons.
“She was in difficult circumstances and is trying to get herself out of it,” said the defence solicitor.