Thief targeted pharmacies in Sunderland and South Shields
A Sunderland thief met with mixed fortunes when she targeted two pharmacies eight miles and a fortnight apart, a court heard.
Tyler Burton, 31, stole £50 of cosmetics and vitamins from a city branch of Million Pharmacy on Thursday, May 15.
Burton, of Buttermere Street, Grangetown, made a clean getaway but the offence caught up with her when she committed a similar crime thirteen days later.
She struck again on Wednesday, May 28, travelling to South Shields to pinch £33 of perfumes and medications from a Lloyds pharmacy branch.
Burton successfully exited the outlet but was spotted and arrested by police minutes later in a nearby doctors’ surgery.
Both offences were put to her in an interview at a police station, and she immediately came clean, prosecutor John Garside said.
Magistrates in South Tyneside were told she committed the crimes around the time she was the victim of a serious assault.
They heard the attack, for which her assailant is awaiting sentence, had affected her mental health.
Mr Garside said: “The defendant has gone into the stores and taken items. The defendant went on to make full and frank admissions.”
Burton pleaded guilty to two counts of theft from a shop. The court heard she has a previous conviction for the same offence in 2022.
Heather Bolton, defending, confirmed Burton’s attacker had pleaded guilty and was awaiting sentence.
She told magistrates: “She was assaulted, which led to a lengthy stay in hospital.
"The attack has had an effect on her mental health.
“These are two low-level offences. Ms Burton had been having difficulties at this time.
“She accepts that she has behaved inappropriately in taking these items.
“She made full admissions when interviewed by the police. I’m sure you will give her credit.”
Magistrates sentenced Burton to a six-month conditional discharge, and there were no court costs or victim surcharge.
But they did order her to pay £50 compensation to Million Pharmacy for goods that were not recovered.
Clinton Leeks, chair of the bench, told Burton she had been given credit for her early guilty pleas.
He added: “You need to keep out of trouble for the period of the conditional discharge, hopefully longer.”