'Don't use your problems as an excuse to commit crime'

Mr Wilson was speaking at North Antrim Magistrates Court in Coleraine on Wednesday of last week where Tanya Morgan (20), an unemployed former beauty therapy student, of Carnany Drive, was put on Probation for 18 months with a condition that she engages with addiction specialists.

The defendant was caught shoplifting at Tesco in Coleraine on April 24 this year.

She was charged with stealing a wireless keyboard and mouse desk set with a total value of 12.97 and with being involved in the attempted theft of two 22-inch tvs with a total value of 300. The goods were fit for resale.

The defendant was also charged with assaulting a female on September 10 last year but that charge was withdrawn after she agreed to a caution being administered.

A prosecutor told the court police were called to Tesco after two females were suspected of shoplifting.

When spoken to by the PSNI, Morgan said she had lifted the items with a view to not paying for them.

Defence solicitor Denise Gillen said: “It would be hard to imagine a shoplifting escapade that was less destined for success than this particular one.”

She said the defendant made a number of admissions to police which if she was a “more hardened criminal” she would not have done.

How Morgan and the other person thought they were going to get away with the theft of the tvs “beggars belief” said Ms Gillen.

The solicitor said Morgan has problems with cannabis and has been “struggling with problems on and off throughout her life”.

She said the shoplifting incident perhaps involved a substance clouding the judgement of her client.

Morgan told Mr Wilson she has not worked for three years because of depression.

Mr Wilson said: “Depressed or not you are going to have to learn to keep your hands to yourself.”

Mr Wilson said he acknowledged she had problems before but she could not go through her life using that as an excuse to break the law.