Thief pulled knife on Wigan shop assistant

Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court heard that 39-year-old Marie Darbyshire was seen taking items from McColl’s convenience store, on Atherton Road, Hindley, at 7.20am on Monday.

A shop assistant confronted her and recovered a packet of chicken.

Andrew Martin, prosecuting, said Darbyshire produced a knife as she was leaving and threatened to return and cut him.

Darbyshire, of Glebe Street, Leigh, was arrested and pleaded guilty to stealing chicken worth £3.49 and possessing a knife.

She also admitted stealing food and alcohol worth £125.50 from Asda, on Windermere Road in Leigh, on February 4.

This was in breach of a criminal behaviour order by going into the supermarket, and stealing two bottles of whiskey worth £82 from Asda, on Atherleigh Way in Leigh, on March 1.

Mark Ferguson, defending, told the bench: “Her record will reveal this is a lady with numerous convictions for shoplifting and an entrenched problem with heroin and alcohol and these offences, you will not be surprised, were committed as a result of that problem.”

He said that the knife was in the pocket of a jacket that did not belong to her and she was outside the shop when she produced it.

Darbyshire was jailed for 14 months in total, which included the activation of a four-month suspended prison sentence, and she must also pay a £115 victim surcharge.