Suspended Sentence For Soham Woman Who Stole Goods From Tesco

A DRUNKEN woman who struggled with police as they tried to grab two bras and other items she stole from a Tesco store has been given a four-month suspended jail sentence. Lorraine Ellis kicked out when officers tried to handcuff her, and she was put in le

A DRUNKEN woman who struggled with police as they tried to grab two bras and other items she stole from a Tesco store has been given a four-month suspended jail sentence.

Lorraine Ellis kicked out when officers tried to handcuff her, and she was put in leg restraints before being loaded into a police car, city magistrates were told.

A store security officer followed Ellis into the car park after she failed to part with cash for items at the self-service tills, Laura Mardell told Ely magistrates.

"She refused to come back into the store; she got into a car and drove away towards Soham."

Police stopped the car, and found Ellis with stolen items surrounding her, added Miss Mardell.

"She was clearly drunk, she became agitated and raised her voice and swore. She was holding a number of stolen items, and struggled as officers tried to remove them from her.

Various stolen items were found in the car, and two bras were found in Ellis' clothing.

Ellis, 44, of White Hart Lane, Soham, admitted stealing �37.76-worth of items from Tesco and resisting PC Andrew Harding on August 13.

She also admitted breaching her current community order imposed for assaulting a police officer.

Mitigating, solicitor Jacquie Baldwin said Ellis and a friend had struggled to use the self service till in the supermarket.

Ellis is a binge drinker, but not an alcoholic, and suffers from cirrhosis of the liver and depression, added Miss Baldwin.

The court gave Ellis a 12-month supervision order and a three-month curfew, keeping her indoors between 7pm and 7am.