Defendant ‘did not have her sorrows to seek’ - court told

Kerri McAree (26), whose address was given to the court as Union Street, Lurgan, admitted stealing make up valued at £106.38 from Superdrug on April 13 this year.

She also pleaded guilty to the theft of assorted items worth £101.85 from Tesco on March 19.

For each offence she was sentenced to three months in custody, suspended for two years.

The court heard that on April 13 at 3.30pm the defendant was seen acting suspiciously in Superdrug in Lurgan.

She was stopped by staff as she was leaving and police were called.

Before the police arrived the defendant left.

McAree was later answering her bail conditions by attending at the police station.

She was searched and the items she had taken from Superdrug were found.

Police were also made aware of an earlier incident in Tescos on March 19 when McAree was seen putting items in her bag and leave without paying for them.

A barrister representing the defendant said she had been dealt with by the court three weeks previously and a pre-sentence report showed she did not have her sorrows to seek in recent years.

He added that the thefts happened to feed her addiction.

District Judge, Mr Mervyn Bates, said McAree had been made the subject of a probation order a short time ago.