JAILED: Thief threw stolen sandal at Mander Centre worker
A shoplifter who threw a sandal she was trying to steal into the face of a member of staff as he foiled the theft was today starting a 12-month jail sentence.
Katie Grantham turned violent when her exit from the store in Wolverhampton city centre's Mander Centre was blocked on May 10.
Miss Samantha Crabb, prosecuting, told Wolverhampton Crown Court: "She walked to the back of the shoe shop, tried on a pair of sandals, put them in her bag and left without paying.
"A member of staff brought her back into the store where she was asked if the contents of her bag could be checked.
She replied 'Here, have your sandals' and threw one of the pair into the face of a member of staff."
The 31-year-old thief, who was arrested and released on bail, struck again a month later on July 11 when she stole from two stores at Bentley Bridge Retail Park in Wednesfield.
She took £45 worth of children's clothes from Next before being caught leaving a neighbouring shop with fragrance balls valued at £14.95.
Miss Crabb continued: "She explained that she had stolen the goods because she needed to feed herself and her dog.
"She admitted to staff at the second store that she had also stolen from Next."
The three offences broke the terms of a suspended 20-month jail term imposed on Grantham – who had a string of previous convictions – after she offered to supply cocaine in November last year.
Mr Jon Roe, defending, explained: "She has abused drink and drugs in the past and a lot of the convictions are related to that.
"These crimes occurred after her partner was sent to prison leaving her in financial difficulty.
"Her benefits had been suspended and she wanted to bridge the gap.
"She had no previous convictions for shoplifting. She did not intend the sandal to hit the man. It was moment of stupidity.
"She was more cross with herself than anybody else. She was angry that after not offending for some time, she had committed another offence."
"These were unsophisticated shop thefts of low value. She has numerous problems and wants help with them so that she can address her underlying difficulties."
Grantham from Tettenhall Road, Tettenhall admitted the three shoplifting charges, assaulting the shop worker and breaching the suspended prison sentence and was jailed for a year.
Judge Kristina Montgomery QC told her: "You have a long record of offending and have failed to make any real progress under the many and varied orders made by courts in the past to try to help you with your problems."
