Shoplifter 'on a mission for dealer' - court

That’s what happened when a Newbury heroin dealer took a fancy to some aftershave, town magistrates heard.
It was not the dealer but his customer, 39-year-old Sonya Ann Moss, of Bronte Rise, Newbury, who ended up in the dock on Thursday, March 6.
Claire French, prosecuting, said Miss Moss was arrested after customers in Camp Hopson, Northbrook Street, Newbury, noticed her acting suspiciously and alerted staff.
“Security officers examined the CCTV footage and she was seen to select an aftershave, disappear behind a display and emerge carrying a bag,” she said.
“She was seen to do the same thing again and then leave without paying.”
Miss Moss, who has multiple previous convictions, including for theft, admitted stealing
fragrances worth £121 on January 28.
Mike Davis, defending, said: “It’s a familiar tale, but true nonetheless.”
He explained that his client had tried to wean herself off heroin using the legally-prescribed substitute methadone, but added: “It’s not easy to get hold of and, if you miss an appointment, you have to start all over again. She did miss an appointment and her prescription therefore ceased.
“To stave off withdrawals, she went back to using heroin for a period.”
It was when she was at her most desperate, the court heard, that her dealer expressed his desire for some expensive aftershave and told her he would give her some heroin in exchange for the stolen products.
Mr Davis said that when he last saw his client, in a police cell in February, that she did not look well, but added: “She tells me she has been clean for 12 days now and she certainly looks much better for it. She seems to be coping on her own at the moment.”
Magistrates made her subject to a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered her to pay a statutory surcharge of £15.
Miss French had asked for Camp Hopson to be compensated for the aftershave, which was never recovered, but magistrates did not order Miss Moss to repay the store because of her limited financial means.