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22
Feb
Thief assaulted Harrogate M&S employee with glass candle
A woman assaulted an employee at Marks & Spencer in Harrogate with a glass candle as she tried to flee with stolen goods.
Julie Unwin, 34, appeared at Harrogate Magistrates Court on Thursday (February 19) charged with seven offences: five counts of theft from a shop, one count of assault and one count of possession of cocaine.
She admitted six of the offences last year and a further count of theft during Thursday’s hearing, when she was sentenced for all the charges.
Sarah Tyrer, prosecuting, told the court police were made aware of an incident at around 4.45pm at M&S on Cambridge Street on July 29 last year.
A named employee told police he saw a woman “acting suspiciously” in the store that afternoon, so he informed the store detective.
The store detective took over observations of Unwin, Ms Tyrer said, but the named employee continued to watch her on CCTV.
He noticed Unwin select a number of items but made no attempt to pay before trying to leave the store.
Ms Tyrer said:
The employee ran towards the doors when he saw a woman crack a glass candle over the store detective’s head. The glass broke.
He saw the defendant run out of the store but the store detective grabbed her and stopped her.
The store detective told police he became involved after reports of a suspicious woman circulated around the shop.
He saw Unwin select items around the supermarket and put a towel over her bag.
The court heard:
The store detective introduced himself to her and identified himself [as the store detective]. He went to retrieve the items but the defendant then struck him with the glass candle on the chin.
Unwin, of Bower Street in Harrogate, was arrested at the scene but gave no comment in interview.
The stolen goods were recovered.
Other offences
Ms Tyrer detailed a number of other offences committed by Unwin, including stealing various drinks, wine and food from the Co-op on Ripon Road on July 21.
She returned to the shop on August 3 and stole £52 worth of goods, and stole a further £26 worth of items from Aldi on Oak Beck Road on September 1.
The court heard Unwin was also arrested on October 16, having attended Harrogate Magistrates Court that morning.
As police arrested her, Unwin dropped a “small green parcel”, which was later found to be cocaine. She was subsequently charged with possession of a class A drug.
Finally, Unwin on Thursday admitted to stealing clothes from Primark on Harrogate’s Cambridge Street on January 8.
She was captured stealing the clothes, which the prosecution said totalled £156, on CCTV and was later arrested.
Unwin admitted the offence to police and told officers she “intended to steal the clothes”.
“The defendant said she would sell the clothes to buy drugs, but disputed the value of the items”, Mr Tyrer told the magistrates.
By committing the offences, Unwin breached a conditional discharge imposed last summer for several other theft matters.
Unwin 'stole to survive'
Mr Walker, defending, told the court Unwin’s address was made subject to a closure order in May last year.
“She was told she wasn’t allowed home… she was put out on the streets with no clothes or food and nowhere to stay”, he said.
Mr Walker said Unwin told police officers she stole “to survive”, adding:
This is not what would usually occur if someone is intoxicated or committing high-value thefts. It’s one pint of milk or one loaf of bread so she can survive.
The court heard the M&S incident was the “only one that included violence”.
Mr Walker claimed the store detective grabbed Unwin from behind to restrain her, so she “swung her arm and hit him”.
“She says she didn’t mean to hit him and apologises for it”, he added.
Unwin also disputes the value of the stolen Primark clothing.
She claims to have stolen two sets of clothing, which Mr Walker said could be seen as being advertised for £7 on CCTV footage.
"There is no real evidence" of the value of the goods, he added.
He told the magistrates Unwin used to be homeless but has since secured stable accommodation.
She also has a key worker who supports her and has voluntarily sought help from addiction recovery service North Yorkshire Horizons for her drug abuse.
Passing sentence, the chair of the magistrates told Unwin: “You have made efforts to turn your life around”.
She was handed a 12-month community order, during which she must complete 20 rehabilitation days and a six-month drug rehabilitation requirement.
Unwin was also ordered to pay a total of £279 in compensation to both the stores and the M&S store detective.
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