Judge warned giggling South Tyneside thief that she faces prison if she continues to break the law

District Judge Andrew Garthwaite took Natalie Glenn’s “nervous laughter” with good humour as she stood in the dock at the borough’s magistrates’ court.

But he then warned Glenn, 28, of Woodbine Street, South Shields town centre, who was caught swiping £360 of leather jackets: “You’re hardly a sophisticated criminal.

“Your record points that you are a very poor criminal. You keep getting caught.

“Rather than me being a very funny comedian, rather the punchline I hand out is usually prison.

“I can assure you that if you come back before me, you will not be laughing, you will be going to prison. Sort yourself out.

“Put this bad behaviour behind you. If you don’t it’s a one-way trip to jail. I don’t want to see you again, you don’t want to see me again.”

Glenn was arrested seconds after stealing six jackets from River Island’s store in King Street, South Shields, on Sunday (March 12), the court heard.

Prosecutor John Garside said: “She stole jackets. She was stopped and arrested nearby. The items were returned to the store.

“She made full admissions, it is her previous convictions which are the aggravating factor.”

Mr Garside said Glenn, who pleaded guilty to a charge of theft from a shop, had been up before the same court on Wednesday, March 8, for another offence.

For that, she was sentenced to an 18-month community order, with 15 days of rehabilitation work with the Probation Service.

Jack Lavelle, defending, said Glenn’s last concerted criminality had been in 2019, adding: “There was a lengthy time when she was crime-free.

“She has problems with drugs. The circumstances that led to this offence are that her Universal Credit was stopped.

“She has shown remorse, but she has put herself into this position. Hopefully with the assistance of the Probation Service, she can go crime-free.”

Judge Garthwaite, who was told by Glenn her giggles were “nervous laughter”, sentenced her to a two-year conditional discharge, with £85 court costs and a £26 victim surcharge.

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