Woman jailed for stealing 34 bottles of wine

A woman has been jailed for stealing food and 34 bottles of wine from a Tesco Express.

Lucy Hanks, 37, of Bitton Park Road in Teignmouth, Devon, was jailed for 16 months after she pleaded guilty to four thefts, breach of a suspended sentence order and a court order and possession of methadone.

Exeter Crown Court heard how Hanks stole 17 bottles of wine twice on the same day in March 2024 from a Tesco Express store in Teignmouth in breach of her bail conditions.

Police said they had arrested Hanks about four weeks later but she went on to break her bail conditions again when she shoplifted food from the same store on 7 April.

Police said the drug offence had taken place on 30 October at Tesco Extra in Kingsteignton, in Devon.

Officers had attended a domestic incident at the shop during which they searched Hanks and found her in possession of methadone without a prescription, Devon and Cornwall Police said.

Neighbourhood beat manager for Teignmouth, Robbie Mangham, said: "Hanks continued to target and steal from the same shop regardless of the conditions imposed upon her.

"Her crimes affected shop staff and show her to be a persistent and significant shoplifter."

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