A PERSISTENT Carlisle shoplifter with a history of drug addiction was told she must wait two years for community based mental health treatment.

At the city’s Rickergate court, the lawyer representing 36-year-old Angela Johnston said some of her her recent offending had the hallmarks of a person stealing raise cash to settle a debt.

The defendant, of Petteril Bank Road, Carlisle, had earlier admitted seven theft offences, committed between November last year and January this year.

The thefts included:

  • Stealing electrical goods worth £636 from Superdrug in Carlisle on January 17.
  • Taking goods worth £121 from Spar on Petteril Bank Road, Carlisle, on November 19 last year.
  • Stealing 43 packets of biscuits worth £60 from the same store on December 6 last year.
  • And an assortment of thefts – mostly of food - from Spar and also from a branch of Aldi.

John Smith, defending, said the fact that the defendant stole 12 jars of coffee on one occasion suggested a motivation to buy goods to sell on.

“When I asked her about it, she said it was for a drugs debt,” said the lawyer. “When she was interviewed by the police, she admitted all of the offences and told them it was to pay a drugs debt.”

During an earlier conversation with Johnston, said Mr Smith, she had claimed she was pressured into stealing, though there was no evidence of that.

The lawyer went on to explain that the defendant had tried to get mental health support in the community but had been told that must wait because there was a two-year waiting list.

She making that enquiry, she had since “gone cold turkey,” taking no more methadone and she now reported being drug free.

District Judge John Temperley said accepted that it may be “a couple of years” before the defendant gets help for her mental health issues and for various reasons, he felt it would be inappropriate to impose a community order.

So instead, he imposed a financial penalty: a £200 fine, with an £80 surcharge. 

The District Judge said he would have liked to order that Johnston pay full compensation but he noted the defendant's existing debt to the court and ordered that Johnston must pay partial compensation to two of the shops she stole high value goods from.

There was not order imposed for costs.

This was £250 for Superdrug and £100 to Spar.