Mum’s claims of accidental theft

A MUM-of-three caught stealing clothes from a city shop claimed she had done so by mistake.

Alexandra Glass (30), of Lochalsh Road, Inverness, pleaded guilty to stealing a jacket, basket, cardigan and T-shirt from Primark, on Bridge Street, on August 6, 2010, while on bail.

The items, worth £34, were fully recovered by staff and when she was cautioned and charged, she told police she "did steal them but not intentionally".

Her defence agent Rory Gowans told Inverness Sheriff Court on Tuesday that Glass, a recovering drug addict who has been clean for two years, had been in the shop and had the money to pay for the items when she discovered she had lost a prescription. However, when she went to leave the shop to try to find the medication, she mistakenly picked up the shop’s bag type basket instead of her handbag.

He added medication she was on may have disinhibited her.

Glass admitted further charges including failing to appear at a diet at Inverness Sheriff Court on November 10, 2009; stealing four pairs of jeans from the New Look store, Inverness, on September 17, 2008; failing to attend court without reasonable excuse on October 23, 2008; stealing a chain and pendant from Kessock Avenue on October 23, 2008 and stealing a ring from Kessock Avenue, between October 13 and 16, 2008.

Sheriff Ian Abercrombie placed Glass on a structured deferred sentence for good behaviour until April 7.