BY JAMES SIMONS
A female thief with 91 convictions for theft has been jailed for 31 weeks by Leeds magistrates court for theft and committing two offences whilst on a suspended sentence. Her latest conviction was for stealing two jackets, worth £200, from Blacks in The Core shopping centre on October 13, but Chantelle Mitchell from Broadway, Leeds, was chased and caught after using a foil-lined bag tin an attempt to hide the garments.
The 38 year old waste girl was also given a three-year criminal behaviour order banning her from entering the city centre.
Deputy District Judge Andrew Jebb told Mitchell: “Businesses in the area are entitled to a rest from your activities”.
Mitchell must stay out of an area bordered by and including the Inner Ring Road, Willow Terrace Road, Calverley Street, Portland Street, Great George Street, Inner Ring Road, Westgate, East Parade, King Street, Wellington Street, New Station Street, Swinegate, The Calls, High Court, Kirkgate, St Peters Street and Eastgate except to attend court, probation or solicitors by prior written appointment. If she breaches the ban she will be liable for arrest and further prosecution.
Compulsive thieves are often low life alcoholics with little or no prospects. They become addicted to their habit of stealing and care little for the consequences of being caught despite their preference to escape detection. Many shop thieves get away without being caught on several occasions so that the times when they are caught do not always tell the story of how often they have been stealing. This big woman has probably stolen many more times without being caught. Arrest by the police unfortunately isn’t much of a deterrence for them because being able to obtain goods for free is more of a kick than anything else. Most persistent offenders were drop outs from school, can hardly write a letter to save their lives, and are not to be trusted. Many are homeless, so a jail sentence provides comfort to such, who would only seek to make friends with like minded criminals they meet in jail. Chantel will most likely offend again because her track record shows that this has become a way of life to her.