IPSWICH: A mother-of-five who used her eight-year-old daughter as part of a shoplifting scam is paying the penalty today.

IPSWICH: A mother-of-five who used her eight-year-old daughter as part of a shoplifting scam is paying the penalty today.

Unemployed Donna Candy must pay a total of �515 in fines and costs after being sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court.

The 46-year-old had pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to stealing toiletries from Boots in Tavern Street, Ipswich.

Prosecutor Godfried Duah said Candy, her ex-husband and daughter went into the store on June 3. Candy had carrier bags and a handbag, and was seen picking up items.

Security staff watched as Candy moved to various areas of the shop and at one stage turned her back to the security cameras before putting a toothpaste box back on the shelf. When a worker checked the box it was empty, the court heard.

Mr Duah said Candy and her husband also took a number of other items from the store without paying for them.

As the pair walked away from the shop Candy and her husband were seen transferring some of the goods to the eight-year-old and others to Candy's handbag. All the stolen items were recovered.

The court heard that Candy, who has four previous convictions, two of which were for theft, was the only person to be charged in connection with shoplifting.

Claire Ashcroft, mitigating, said Candy, of Agnes Silverside Close, Colchester, suffered from depression and lived on disability benefit.

Miss Ashcroft added Candy and her ex-husband, who watched from the public gallery, had been together at the time but were under stress. Their second eldest child had been on a life-support machine after being beaten up.

Judge Peter Thompson told Candy: “You are dishonest. You tried to blame other people.

“You were willing to manipulate your eight-year-old daughter to help you to shoplift.”

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