Glasgow woman stole £2k of clothes in TK Maxx bag

Catherine Jones appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court last week after she admitted to the single charge.

The 37-year-old walked into House of Fraser in the city centre just before 2pm on June 24 last year.

Loss prevention specialists working there noticed her arriving with a man.

They recognised them as shoplifters and asked for more staff to keep an eye on them.

Later, employees witnessed Jones take a quantity of clothes and place it in a red TK Maxx bag she was carrying.

She then headed downstairs, towards the exit. Workers followed and watched her leave.

When she left, the security alarm was triggered.

The Royston resident was apprehended and taken to a holding room.

She had a foil lining in the bag to scramble the alarm.

The recovered items were worth £2454.

The court heard that the man who entered with Jones was innocent.

Jones' solicitor said: "While the value is high, there was a full recovery.

"The ultimate conclusion was that she might be a candidate for the women’s court. She would be prepared to comply with a structural deferred sentence in that court."

Sheriff Bernard Ablett said: "She simply went to the city centre to shoplift. She saw an opportunity to make a significant amount of easy money."

The lawyer added that Jones struggles with her mental health due to several bereavements and she has been struggling to cope.

Sheriff Ablett replied: "I will defer for a women’s problem-solving court assessment."