AN EDEN woman who stole goods worth an estimated £3,000 from Sainsburys during a spate of offending blamed her behaviour on medical conditions.

Joleen Allen, 38, who admitted stealing from the Penrith store on seven occasions in July and August last year, said she had no memory of her offending and suggested it may be linked to her having a stroke and a brain tumour.

At Carlisle’s Rickergate court, prosecutor George Shelley outlined what happened.

He said the alarm was raised on August 28 last year when a security worker at Sainsburys noticed a male acting suspiciously and reviewed CCTV.

It was after viewing those images that the security guard noticed the defendant was stealing.

She was seen to scan a few items worth £10 but then left the store without paying for more goods worth considerably more.

“She left the store without paying for a large number of groceries,” said Mr Shelley.

Investigations showed that the same woman – the defendant - had been in the store and done the same thing on other occasions. She admitted stealing from the store on July 31, August 10, 18, 25, 28, 29, and October 17.

A probation officer who interviewed the defendant said that after being shown the CCTV of her offending from the store Allen said she could not understand why she did it.

“She has no financial worries and can’t understand why she would steal,” said the officer. “She realises it was a stupid thing to do and she always had adequate finances to purchase the items she took from the store.

“She suffered a stroke in 2020 and has a brain tumour and says there may be issues surrounding her short term and long-term memory.

"She says it was not something she would intentionally do. She has had the added stress in relation to her oldest son going to Newcastle University.

“She expresses her sincere apologies and understands the wider impacts on shops. She’s embarrassed and has now stopped going to this shop.”

If she needs goods from the shop, she now lets her partner shop while she waits in the car for fear of repeating the same mistake.

The court heard that the defendant, of Somerwood Close, Long Marton, was prosecuted for stealing from her employer in 2019. The defendant speculated about whether the stroke and tumour had affected her behaviour.

She had also been diagnosed with anxiety and depression.

Magistrates said the thefts represented a “serious set of offences.”

Given the value of the goods taken, potentially up to £3,000, magistrates said custody was appropriate, but they suspended the 17-week sentence for a year.

But they noted that the previous theft was five years ago and also the defendant’s medical issues. Allen must complete 10 rehabilitation activity days and ordered that the defendant must pay Sainsburys compensation of £2,000.