A woman who used a child as cover to steal thousands of pounds of trendy jellycat hug toys, escaped prison today – because she is a mother.
Ruby Smith, 35, hid dozens of toys in a pram or hid seven times for themselves – including three raids in the same garden center.
Her biggest appetite in one shoplifting was £ 1,679.50 of the collective objects of Bressingham Garden Center in Norfolk.
The mother of one was caught on CCTV and the police fell over her house, where they found dozens of downy animals and other characters in 'sealed mail bags' ready to be sent to customers who unconsciously pay for stolen goods.
Magistrates in Norwich told Smith that she had crossed the 'custody threshold', but saved her prison – even though she heard that she had an accomplice on some occasions she had not identified.
Chairman of the Bank Andrea Middleton told her a conditional punishment of 26 There was a child present and a high value … and a certain degree of planning was involved.
“However, we go one step back and suspend your sentence – our reason is that your family obligation is.”
Smith wiped more than £ 4,000 from the toys between July 25 and September 23 last year, including two gigantic shoplifting sessions with a value of more than £ 1,600 from Bressingham Garden Center every time.
Ruby Smith, 35, (depicted) Hidden dozens of toys in a pram or hidden them seven times on their own – including three raids in the same garden center
Her biggest appetite in one shoplifting was £ 1,679.50 of the collective objects of Bressingham Garden Center in Norfolk (shown: some of the Jellycat Toys Smith Stal)
Smith sweeped more than £ 4,000 of the toys between July 25 and September 23 last year in Bressingham Garden Center (photo)
She also hit the Thetford Garden Center and the Wroxham barns, a tourist attraction with shops, food and a junior farm.
Public Prosecutor Josephine Jones said: “The suspect was identified from CCTV stills who recorded the theft of different locations. The allegations were applied to her and she answered 'no comments' on the questions.
'At the time of arrest, in November 2024, a search was performed in the accommodation and a bag for life was found with Jellycat soft toys and who still had attached cardboard labels. Eighteen were found.
“A further bag for life with 14 Jellycat toys was found.”
Mrs Jones added that there were another 15 of the colorful toys in 'sealed mail bags … as if they were sent by the suspect. The police could not identify which location they were stolen. '
The question of whether Smith was treated whether Smith should be imprisoned was James Landles, defensive, accepted that a child was present and his client had two previous similar convictions since 2015.
But he told the court that her partner had suffered a reduction of £ 500 in his income and then lost his job, while the Hospita of the couple had increased their rent by £ 300.
'The Hospita does not fill in the forms that are necessary for universal credit and rent. Then comes the point where the couple has to leave because the rent is not there, “he said.
The mother-of-one was trapped at CCTV and the police fell over her house, where they found dozens of downy animals and other characters in 'sealed mail bags' ready to be sent to customers who unintentionally pay for stolen goods (depicted: Some of the Jellycat Toys Smith Stal)
Smith wiped more than £ 4,000 of the toys between July 25 and September 23 last year, including two gigantic shoplifting sessions with a value of more than £ 1,600 every time of Bressingham Garden Center (shown: some of the Jellycat Toys Smith Stal)
“They complain about the hospita. Social services were involved and tried to negotiate. An impasse was reached.
She [Smith] Was desperate. She became desperate herself and she was in a position in which she had to come up with a shortage because of her partner who lost their job. '
Smith's partner had since found another job and earned £ 2,100 a month, while the family's income was stimulated every month by another £ 500 in Universal Credit. They now live in a different property, Suffolk.
Smith was also placed on probation for two years, an electronic tag must wear for three months and seven days of rehabilitation activities undertaking organized by the probation service.
She was also told to pay a total of £ 1,780 compensation to the companies on which she focused, plus a £ 154 victim allowance.
Mrs Middleton added: 'I want to be clear that if you are breaking one of the requirements – and that includes working with probation – or once convicted of you makes a violation while you are in the order, you can expect this to In prison is activated.
'A suspended prison sentence is not running away. You now have a criminal record. '
Smith, who wore golden frames and a jacket in Parka-style with fur covered hood, made no comment when she left the court.
Jellycat, a British company founded in 1999, is best known for the plush toys and collective objects that it produces, ranging from rabbits and bears to whimsical topics such as egg cups and aubergines. It also produces bags, books, daycare centers and other accessories.
The soft toy is collected by adults and children and have become popular with shoplifters because of their high value. A Sacha Snow Tiger is currently for sale at Selfridges for £ 1,200, while a Jellycat is amusible sun £ 750 – although most items are less than £ 100.
In October last year, Groves Nurseries in Bridport, Dorset, CCTV released from a woman who wiped the toys and filled them in a pram that her child wears.
Last week, unemployed grandmother Linda Adams, 63, escaped the prison despite taking about 20 toys in two raids.
Sefton Magistrates Court in MerseSide heard that she had wanted to spoil her newborn grandchildren. She and her ex-partner, Peter Allen, 65 both received a fine.
