No prosecution, even though pet shop thief was caught on CCTV
Thursday 21st October 2010, 1:00PM BST.
A sign warning of CCTV in the store and the threat of prosecution for shoplifters is displayed prominently on the door of Trim Dog. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 1041993)
THE owners of a pet store business are shocked and feel let down after a shoplifter escaped prosecution because she was leaving the island.
Nick Olliver, whose wife, Jan, has run Trim Dog at Pleinheaume, Vale, for 25 years, said he couldn’t believe the thief had been allowed to get away with it.
The woman, said to be in her 50s, was caught on camera taking various goods. She has since paid for the stolen items after telling police she didn’t know why she had done it.
Inspector Trevor Coleman, from Guernsey Police, said it was inappropriate to comment on individual cases. ‘There are circumstances which are considered more appropriate to administer a formal caution.’
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It’s sad that Trim dog had all this CCTV fitted to help/stop people from steeling then the police go around and because this lady is leaving the Island it will not be taken further so so sad….
So if this lady returns to the Island and starts where she left off then thats ok. If she thinks she can get away with it she may try again…..
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If the woman did not pay up for the goods (it states she only offered), how are shop owners going to claim the cost of what is stolen if the thief is not prosecuted?
Anyone can say they are leaving the Island just to get out of being charged!!!
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But she may well have received a caution as the newspaper states. If the culprit truly was leaving the island then it wouldn’t have been in public interest to peruse the case, wasting court time and ultimately tax payers money. Very sad for Trim Dog but that’s life.
On a more significant note, the magistrate wouldn’t have deported the thief anyway so she done us all a favour.
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I think it’s a very sad state of affairs that people have nothing better to do with their time than stick their noses into other peoples business. Why is this even in the GP – is this all we can find to report on now!!!!! You shouldn’t always believe what you read!!!!
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perhaps if mr oliver told the press the whole story !!!!
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Bubblegum
What are you saying exactly?
do you mean it is none of the publics business and we have no right to know about this thief?.
Didn`t she poke her nose into someones business and tried to steal part of it?.
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Bubblegum! EHHH???? have u been on the funny stuff? We are commenting on a case of theft …. U know … the kind of crime that’s usually reported in a newspaper? This particular crime seems to be going unpunished. If U were not sticking UR nose in other peoples businesses too u wouldn’t be reading this or the media now would u, cos that’s mainly what media is u know …. News about whats going on around us!!!
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Silver Sapphire – the article clearly states the woman did pay for the stolen items – quote “She has since paid for the stolen items”
In my opinion the police have dealt with this case well. Yes the woman was caught stealing and has therefore committed a crime however from what we can tell from the article (a) she has paid back the money therefore making restitution for her offence and (b) she is leaving the island.
Is it really in the public interest to pursue a criminal case against this woman? The facts are that any case would probably cost the island more to pursue than any fines dished out and if she were sent to prison (unlikely in a case like this) it would cost the island a fortune. In addition, she is already leaving so why waste time and money deporting her?
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So let me see now…..Mmmm I will go and get my shopping and IF caught pay for what I have stolen and thats ok, and if I am not caught well what a bonus more in my pocket….Pffft what a crock of s#@#
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Hmm so we should report all of them in the GP – because we all want to buy a phonebook sized press ever day!!! Most people don’t go to the press!!! I’m sure there are things that are more important that they can be reporting on!!! I’m not sure where it has gone unpunished – the shop have received cash they aren’t out of pocket. With respect I don’t believe any of us are whiter than white and have no right to judge others!!!
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Paul ….. Yes i pressed the confirm button a little too eagerly there, i realised my error on re reading the piece so apologies for that. Your spot on there Stone de Croz! Anyone who thinks it’s ok to steal then offer to pay IF they get caught AND only for what they have been caught stealing on THAT occasion has obviously never owned a business to appreciate what these thieves cost the shop owners every year. If this had happened in Saudi Arabia she would have had her fingers/hands chopped off So this shoplifter should count herself lucky that she was treated so leniently! Of course there are occasions wen “mental illness” is implicated ….. So perhaps… If a proven case… that should be taken into consideration wen passing sentence ….(although some would argue that people like that shouldn’t be out on their own anyway)… but that doesn’t excuse the “assumed” attitude in some of the comments that it’s OK to steal as long as you’re not caught! Maybe someone should steal from u Bubblegum so u know what it feels like wen nothing is done about it…. Sorry jus sayin :-)
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I agree, Bubblegum!!!!!!!!!!!! I think we should use those valuable column inches to investigate the shocking rise in the overuse of exclamation marks…!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Mr Olliver called the Police. He got what the Police do. Justice. The lady has a conviction. Mr Olliver got money back. Leave the Police alone, and let them get on with their job. They have more information than the people commenting on here, they know why they did what they did, and can justify it, or they wouldn’t have done it.
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I think i am going to go to checkers do my weekly shop and walk out. If i get caught it will be ok because i will just pay them back…..
Not right at all, whethere they have paid back or not, they should be punished for stealing..
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I was caught speeding along L’eree coast road doing 50, I told the policeman that I was leaving the island, he just said “Oh that’s fine carry on your usual business”.
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They still chased me around my Local even though i told them i was going on holiday and someone else had put one in the pot for me.
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SImilarly, I have been told that the person who allowed his dogs to kill gull chicks this summer and contributed by throwing stones at the birds has also recently got off the hook by legging it…
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……….seems to be the way to get away with it.
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By the way, it’s fine by me as long as they stay away. Better than getting a slap on the wrist and then committing similar crimes the following week.
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I met Mr G speeding along L’eree coast road and he was foaming at the mouth, not surprising that. Still he must be due a name change, eh foamy?
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The thief who stole from Trim Dog ‘doesn’t know why she did it’! Yawn!! She did it for the same reason as the scumbag who stole my shopping bag in St Peter Port. It’s the ‘oh, they’ve got something we haven’t so we’ll just nick it syndrome and if we’re found out we’ll just think up some feeble excuse.’
The punishment should fit the crime. Victims of theft should be allowed to go into the thieves’ house and take what they want. Then maybe thieves would understand what it feels like. The thing is though that even if items are returned to you [like a car stolen from me some years ago] you don’t want them because you feel that they’ve been defiled and sullied by the filth that stole them.
Sad world isn’t it?
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