Two mums who stole £5k of sunglasses from John Lewis have dodged jail because of their children.
Lindsey Jordan, 40, of Westmoreland Place, Vauxhall, and Paula Richardson, 35, of Jason Walk, Everton, "worked together" with Jordan acting as a lookout and distracting staff while Richardson took sunglasses from the John Lewis store at the Trafford Centre. The pair first offended on April 19 of this year, where they stole eight pairs of sunglasses ranging between £200 and £481, and valued at a total of £3,164.
Prosecuting, Mr Mark Pritchard told the court how they returned to the same store just three days later on April 22, carrying out "exactly the same operation" where they stole a further six pairs of sunglasses valued between £298 and £508, with a total value of £2,168. They then attempted to visit the store on a third occasion, where they were grabbed by store security, MEN reports.
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The £5,332 worth of stolen goods have not been recovered. Both women pleaded guilty to theft and were handed a suspended sentence for six months at Minshull Street Crown Court by Judge Baxter, who told them she was granting them "a chance" because of "real difficulties" in relation to their children.
The court also heard how Jordan had 26 previous convictions ranging from 2001 and 2011, including shoplifting offences which she served in custody in 2011. Ms Richardson has two previous convictions, including one for shoplifting in 2017. Mitigating, Mr Carville said that both defendants are mothers caring for children, and that Jordan has a child with special needs who requires specialist support.
The court heard how Ms Richardson is a single parent of four children. He said both of them had managed to '"stay out of trouble" for several years and Jordan had written a letter to the judge in relation to her child's circumstances. Jordan, of Westmoreland Place, Liverpool, and Richardson, of Jason Walk, Liverpool, were sentenced to a six-month suspended sentence, and 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
Judge Baxter said six months custody was the "appropriate sentence" for theft of these "high value" items, but decided to suspend the sentences to take each woman's children into account.
When sentencing the mums, Judge Baxter said: "This was clearly a joint enterprise in which you both planned together and acted together. You are both mature adults and make your own decisions and knew exactly what you were doing.
"You returned to the shop on three occasions and no doubt thought you were getting away with it. I know I have given you a chance and taken those children into account on this occasion. It won't happen twice."
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