A thief who stole £500 worth of sex toys and condoms thought they were only worth about £100. Clara McLay appeared in court via video link from prison.
She admitted the theft from a shop to magistrates. A court heard that McLay, 31, entered the Boots store in Middlesbrough on January 2 at about 10.30am, heading to the sexual wellbeing aisle, reports Teesside Live.
Magistrates at Teesside Magistrates' Court heard that she picked up a number of adult toys and boxes of condoms, estimated to be worth £507.15. Heather Willis, prosecuting, said: "She then left the store making no attempt to pay. These goods were not recovered."
McLay, of Portman Street, Gresham, was interviewed by officers and admitted that she intended to steal when she entered the store and had no means to pay for the items.
Daniel Burke, mitigating, said: "She doesn't think it was £507 worth of items taken. I don't think it will make a material difference to sentence."
He said he had looked up the cost of the most expensive box of condoms Boots sells, which is £10.99. That would amount to around 50 packs.
On January 20, the serial shoplifter was sentenced to 26 weeks in prison for five other shop thefts. Mr Burke said he didn't know why McLay was not sentenced for this offence along with the others.
Magistrates heard McLay has an outstanding fines account of £3,056.17. McLay was sentenced to 12 weeks in custody, to run concurrent to the previous sentence, and pay £250 in compensation.
