Woman sentenced for stealing from Voisins and attacking Islander at Havre des Pas

Shoppers in a busy King Street .Picture: ROB CURRIE. (34775128)

A WOMAN who stole clothes from Voisins and attacked someone at Havre des Pas while in a ‘bad place’ in her life has been fined £800 for larceny and common assault.

Gabrielle Lilian Linstead (26) pleaded guilty when she appeared in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, with the offences having taken place on separate occasions earlier this year.

Centenier David Curtis told the court that the theft took place on 5 March, after a staff member in Voisins saw Linstead leaving the shop with a pile of clothes.

The court heard that a member of the store’s security staff caught up with her after she had left the shop and the States police were called.

Although the stolen clothes were recovered, Centenier Curtis said some of them were not able to be resold by Voisins as the security tags had been ripped and bitten off, damaging the items.

The value of the stolen goods totalled £398.20.

When interviewed by the States police, Linstead admitted that she had been struggling with personal difficulties and was ‘probably under the influence of Valium’ at the time of the offence.

She initially attended a parish hall inquiry for this offence, and was ordered to pay the money back to Voisins. However, she failed to do so which caused the matter to be taken to the Magistrate’s Court.

Following that offence Linstead also reoffended and was separately charged with common assault.

The assault took place on 6 August when a member of the public called the States police after seeing a fight break out on the boardwalk at Havre des Pas.

The court heard Linstead had been drinking that afternoon with a group of women at Havre des Pas. She left to go to the shop, but when she returned she realised that another member of the group had taken her alcohol, which she had left unattended.

Linstead confronted the woman and there was ‘pushing and shoving’ between them, the court heard.

Linstead punched the woman in the face three times.

Addressing the court, Linstead, who was represented by Advocate James Bell, explained that she had been in a ‘bad place’ at the time of the offences and was struggling with her mental health, accommodation situation, as well as other personal difficulties.

However, she said she was in a ‘much better place now’ with stable employment and secure accommodation, and was getting help for her mental health and support from the Alcohol and Drugs Service.

Linstead added that she now had a regular income and was therefore in a position to be able to repay Voisins. She was ordered to pay the store a total of £300 in compensation for the damaged clothes, and was bound over for six months.

Linstead was fined £500 in relation to the common-assault charge.

– Advertisement –
– Advertisement –