Woman jailed after Victoria's Secret pyjamas theft

A woman who stole almost £2,000 worth of Victoria's Secret pyjamas from a department store in Belfast has been jailed for seven months.

Linda McAuley, aged 42 from Albany Place in Belfast, targeted a Next store in the city centre on three occasions, each time filling a shopping bag with high value nightwear which prosecutors said totalled £1,930.

Police identified McAuley on CCTV at the scene of each theft.

She was arrested after triggering security alarms during a separate incident at a Boots store in which she stole £95 worth of gift sets.

She pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary, theft, and resisting police.

Belfast Magistrates' Court was told that McAuley carried out the thefts in Next between 20 September and 30 September last year.

The incident in Boots took place at Boucher Crescent retail park on 9 October, after which she was confronted by staff before resisting their attempts to detain her.

"Two off-duty police officers had to intervene, at which point she continued to resist and had to be restrained," a prosecuting lawyer said.

McAuley was then banned from stores in Belfast which participate in the Retail Crimewatch Scheme.

The court was also told that she previously stole goods with a total value of £518 from another Next store in Newtownabbey, Co Antrim on 11 October 2023.

Defence solicitor Norman Shannon said McAuley had been struggling with the use of alcohol and drugs.

"She beats her addiction and then falls off the wagon again" Mr Shannon said.

Sentencing her to seven months, District Judge George Conner said: "Given the value of the pyjamas, this looks like a commercial theft effort."