Shoplifter who threatened customers banned from stores across Wakefield

Crack cocaine addict Sonya Beaumont pushed staff and made them fear for their safety as customers were left "shocked and frightened," Leeds Crown Court heard.

Beaumont, 24, was jailed for 13 months and banned from a string of shops across Wakefield district after a judge made her the subject of a three-year Criminal Behaviour Order.

On July 21 Beaumont, of Gannet Close, Castleford, stole £19 worth of items including chocolate bars from B&M on Albion Street.

She walked into the garden centre section and passed the items through a fence before being detained by a security guard.

On July 25 Beaumont visited Sainsburys Local on Smawthorne Lane on three occasions and stole items worth a total of £84.44.

Prosecutor Victoria Ball said: "Staff did try and intervene. The defendant ignored them and carried on with the offences."

The following day a police officer was in the Sainsburys Local in connection with Beaumont's offences the previous day when she returned to the store. The officer arrested Beaumont.

Between September 21 and October 3 Beaumont stole items worth £435 during eight trips to Tesco Express on Willowbridge Lane in Castleford.

On September 30 a man Beaumont was with broke a window at Iceland in Carlton Lanes Shopping Centre and went inside while she acted as a lookout.

The man left the store via a fire exit with items worth £135.

On October 2 Beaumont stole items worth £102 during four visits to Sainsburys Local on Smawthorne Lane.

Beaumont told police she sold or exchanged stolen items for drugs.

Beaumont was on either police bail or court bail when she committed the majority of the offences.

Mitigating, Martin Morrow said Beaumont has a long standing addiction to crack cocaine and has cut her £300 a day drug habit to £100 a day.

He said: "She acknowledges that her behaviour wrong and expresses feelings of shame and regret."

Beaumont admitted 17 shop thefts and one charge of burglary at Iceland.

At Leeds Crown Court on July 14 she was sentenced to nine months in jail suspended for two years after being convicted of two house burglaries.

Judge Phillips KC told Beaumont: "All the staff at Tesco in Castleford know you because you have caused issues for all of them. You have been told on numerous occasions that you are barred from the store. You took no notice."

Judge Phillips said Beaumont became "extremely aggressive" with staff and swore at them and said "don't touch me."

He added: "You continued to steal. You are also said to have physically pushed staff away. You caused them real issues and the store has suffered badly. They are constantly on edge, fearing for their own safety.

"Customers are reported as being shocked and frightened by your behaviour. Some would challenge you but you are so brazen you are said to have been threatening and aggressive towards them."

Judge Phillips activated the nine-month suspended sentence and jailed Beaumont fort a total of 13 months.

He granted a three year Criminal Behaviour Order which bans Beaumont from all Tesco, Iceland, B&M and Sainsburys stores in Wakefield district for three years.