Magherafelt woman convicted of stealing £1 bottle of water from Poundstretchers

Shauna McLarnon, 33, from Greenvale Park, appeared at Dungannon Magistrate’s Court on Friday. The court heard how on December 23, police were alerted to the theft by staff at the store.

McLarnon, along with an accomplice, who is facing further theft charges, made off in a silver Astra, which police later found unattended on William Street. Officers waited for the pair to return to their vehicle, and when questioned, McLarnon admitted to the theft, saying: “I must have walked out without paying for it.”

The court heard how McLarnon, a mother of five, including a child with behavioural difficulties, was flustered and under pressure on the day of the offence. She has a previous conviction for theft.