Latest news with #SamanthaLawrence
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Thief who stole $2000-worth of Jellycats avoids jail time
An English woman caught stealing $2,000-worth of Jellycats by shoving them down her pants has avoided jail time after a clip of the act went viral. Samantha Lawrence was caught on CCTV stuffing the popular plushies into her bag and her pants at shopping centres in Worcester and Evesham, with the stolen items worth AU$1,960 in total. The court heard that after the CCTV footage of her stealing the Jellycats went viral online, the 38-year-old was 'targeted on social media and her mental health suffered as a result.' Lawrence avoided jail time but was ordered to repay the shops she had stolen from and was fined AU$249, as well as a AU$100 victim surcharge. Video transcript An English woman caught stealing $2,000 worth of Jelly Cats by shoving them down her pants has avoided jail time after a clip of the act went viral. Samantha Lawrence was caught on CCTV stuffing the popular plushies into her bag and her pants with the stolen items worth $1,960 in total. The court said that after the CCTV footage of her stealing the Jelly Cats went viral online, the 38-year-old was targeted on social media and her mental health suffered as a result. Lawrence avoided jail time but was ordered to repay the shop she had stolen from and was fined $249, as well as a $100 victim surcharge.
News.com.au
4 days ago
- News.com.au
Jellycat thief who stole $2000-worth of plushies avoids jail time
A brazen thief who was filmed stuffing a £650 ($1347) Jellycat haul down her trousers has avoided jail after complaining about online abuse because the clip went viral. Samantha Lawrence stuffed a 'significant amount' of the trendy plushies from St Peter's Garden Centre, Worcester, into her trousers and bags. The 38-year-old was caught on CCTV helping herself to the incredibly popular soft toys from the shelves on June 7 this year, The Sun reported. As she snatched the toys - worth £655 ($1358) - she put them in shopping bags and crammed them down her trousers. The next day she struck The Valley shopping centre in Evesham, where she pinched Jellycats worth £121 ($250) She later returned to the same shopping centre where she stole a further £170 ($352) worth of the toys. The court heard that the footage of Ms Lawrence's Jellycat-snatching went viral online which caused her 'mental health to suffer'. Chris Aggri, defending, said she was on a cocktail of medication for her anxiety. 'She has been targeted on social media and her mental health has suffered as a result,' he said. 'She has learned her lesson and is deeply remorseful.' Ms Lawrence was recognised by the CCTV and police swooped on her home in Norton, Evesham, where officers found hundreds of stolen Jellycats. She admitted three counts of theft when she appeared at Worcester Magistrates' Court on Friday. Prosecutor Lauren Millichip told the court Lawrence had stolen Jellycats worth a total of £948.28 ($1966) 'Officers attended her address and found a quantity of Jellycats, some of these she said she had bought,' she said. 'She told officers she had gone into the stores with the intention of stealing the Jellycats.' Lawrence was ordered to pay compensation to the shops she stole from and fined £120 ($249) with a £48 ($100) victim surcharge. Chair of the bench, Caroline Taylor, said: 'We've listened to what's been said. The matters are serious, you have deliberately targeted the stores, one on two separate occasions. 'They are not insignificant amounts of money. You will pay compensation of £657.79 ($1364) to St Peter's and £292.49 ($607) to The Valley. 'We've taken into account your guilty plea, so a fine of £180 has been reduced to £120 ($249) due to that guilty plea. 'You will also pay a £48 ($100) victim surcharge.' The court heard Ms Lawrence was already working with the probation service and magistrates said they expected this to continue. Speaking at the time of the thefts, William Blake, managing director of St Peter's Garden Centre, said: 'We were deeply disappointed by the incident, where a significant amount of stock was stolen from our store. 'As an independent, family-run business, every loss impacts not just our shelves but the hardworking team behind the scenes. 'Our staff work tirelessly to create a warm and welcoming environment for all visitors, and it's disheartening when that is taken advantage of.' Jellycats are uniquely shaped soft toys that are hugely popular right now, thanks to their quirky designs and super-soft material. Over the past year, the brand has experienced significant growth in popularity. As a result, there has been a major toy-snatching crime wave sweeping the UK - and fakes cropping up left right and centre. In April, The Gorge Bear Company in Cheddar, Somerset, was brutally ramraided by at least two thieves. They stole £20,000 ($41,466) worth of Jellycat soft toys in a bizarre night-time raid. This comes amid fears that organised groups of shoplifters are targeting Jellycat soft toys in order to resell them online for as much as £2,400 ($4975). And when Labubu toys also went viral, criminals began to target them owners have reported their keyrings being taken from their bags as they walk, and even their car windows being smashed in so thieves can get access to the plushies.
Metro
5 days ago
- Metro
Woman caught shoving 400 Jellycats down her trousers fined £120
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A thief who stole nearly £1,000 worth of Jellycat toys has been fined £120. Samantha Lawrence went on a two-day spree, stealing dozens of soft toys from two businesses by shoving them down her trousers. The 38-year-old stole toys worth around £650 from St Peter's Garden Centre in Worcester on June 7, before taking almost £300 worth of the toys from The Valley shopping centre in Evesham in two separate thefts on June 8. Incredible CCTV caught Lawrence as she frantically stole the popular soft toys, shoving them into bags as well as down her trousers before running out of the shop. She even tried to force a large £75 rabbit-themed bag into her waistband. She was identified using the footage and when police arrived at her home in Norton, Evesham, officers found hundreds of stolen Jellycats. In total, Lawrence stole toys worth £948.28. Lauren Millichip, prosecuting, told Worcester magistrates court: 'Officers attended her address and found a quantity of Jellycats, some of these she said she had bought. 'She told officers she had gone into the stores with the intention of stealing the Jellycats.' Chris Aggri, defending, said the CCTV of Lawrence's theft had gone viral online and the response had caused her mental health to suffer. She is now taking medication for anxiety, the court heard. He explained: 'She has been targeted on social media and her mental health has suffered as a result. 'She has learned her lesson and is deeply remorseful.' Lawrence admitted three counts of theft and was ordered to pay compensation to the shops she stole from. She was also fined £120 and ordered to pay a £48 victim surcharge. Chair of the bench Caroline Taylor said: 'We've listened to what's been said. The matters are serious, you have deliberately targeted the stores, one on two separate occasions. 'They are not insignificant amounts of money. 'You will pay compensation of £657.79 to St Peter's and £292.49 to The Valley. 'We've taken into account your guilty plea, so a fine of £180 has been reduced to £120 due to that guilty plea. 'You will also pay a £48 victim surcharge.' Speaking to Metro at the time, a manager at St Peter's Garden Centre said they checked their CCTV after the shop alarm went off to find Lawrence had been 'scouting out' their large selection of the soft toys. Jamie Armstrong explained: 'At first we were looking back at the footage and it was one or two little Jellycats, popping them down the trousers. 'Then you get to 15 minutes in and she goes for it. She walks in as a regular woman and walks out looking eight months pregnant. 'We are a family-run garden centre so we're not as powerful at the big chains or supermarkets. More Trending 'We don't have as much budget for security, so it does feel like we get targeted.' Jellycat toys have seen an explosion in popularity in recent years, with rare and retired designs being resold for hundreds of pounds. But their high resale value has made them a target for thieves. Last December the owner of a garden centre revealed how he tracked down a shoplifter who had stolen Jellycats from his shop to sell online. Shoplifting is at record levels with 469,788 offences recorded in England and Wales in the year to June 2024, according to the Office for National Statistics. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page.
Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Brazen thief who stuffed £650 of Jellycats down TROUSERS avoids jail… after moaning about online abuse from viral clip
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A BRAZEN thief who was filmed stuffing a £650 Jellycat haul down her trousers has avoided jail after moaning about online abuse because the clip went viral. Samantha Lawrence stuffed a "significant amount" of the trendy plushies from St Peter's Garden Centre, Worcester, into her trousers and bags. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 Samantha Lawrence, 38, was caught on CCTV pinching the toys from a garden centre Credit: CCTV 6 She stuffed £650 of Jellycats down her trousers Credit: CCTV 6 Jellycats are uniquely shaped soft toys that are hugely popular right now, thanks to their quirky designs and super-soft material Credit: AFP The 38-year-old was caught on CCTV, helping herself to the incredibly popular soft toys from the shelves on June 7 this year. As she snatched the toys - worth £655 - she put them in shopping bags and crammed them down her trousers. The next day she struck The Valley shopping centre in Evesham, where she pinched Jellycats worth £121. She later returned to the same shopping centre where she stole a further £170 worth of the toys. The court heard that the footage of Lawrence's Jellycat-snatching went viral online which caused her "mental health to suffer". Chris Aggri, defending, said she was on a cocktail of medication for her anxiety. He added: "She has been targeted on social media and her mental health has suffered as a result. "She has learned her lesson and is deeply remorseful." Lawrence was recognised by the CCTV and police swooped on her home in Norton, Evesham, where officers found hundreds of stolen Jellycats. She admitted three counts of theft when she appeared at Worcester Magistrates' Court on Friday. 'B----, I'LL KILL YOU' Chilling rise of Jellycat gangs - how toys sparked crimewave where KIDS are used as cover & scammers terrorise families Prosecutor Lauren Millichip told the court Lawrence had stolen Jellycats worth a total of £948.28. She said: "Officers attended her address and found a quantity of Jellycats, some of these she said she had bought. "She told officers she had gone into the stores with the intention of stealing the Jellycats." Lawrence was ordered to pay compensation to the shops she stole from and fined £120 with a £48 victim surcharge. Chair of the bench, Caroline Taylor, said: "We've listened to what's been said. "The matters are serious, you have deliberately targeted the stores, one on two separate occasions. "They are not insignificant amounts of money. "You will pay compensation of £657.79 to St Peter's and £292.49 to The Valley. "We've taken into account your guilty plea, so a fine of £180 has been reduced to £120 due to that guilty plea. "You will also pay a £48 victim surcharge." The court heard Lawrence was already working with the probation service and magistrates said they expected this to continue. Speaking at the time of the thefts, William Blake, managing director of St Peter's Garden Centre, said: "We were deeply disappointed by the incident, where a significant amount of stock was stolen from our store. "As an independent, family-run business, every loss impacts not just our shelves but the hard-working team behind the scenes. "Our staff work tirelessly to create a warm and welcoming environment for all visitors, and it's disheartening when that is taken advantage of." Jellycats are uniquely shaped soft toys that are hugely popular right now, thanks to their quirky designs and super-soft material. Over the past year, the brand has experienced significant growth in popularity. As a result, there has been a major toy-snatching crime wave sweeping the UK - and fakes cropping up left right and centre. In April, The Gorge Bear Company in Cheddar, Somerset, was brutally ram-raided by at least two thieves. They stole £20,000 worth of Jellycat soft toys in a bizarre night-time raid. This comes amid fears that organised groups of shoplifters are targeting Jellycat soft toys in order to resell them online for as much as £2,400. And when Labubu toys also went viral, criminals began to target them too. Toy owners have reported their keyrings being taken from their bags as they walk, and even their car windows being smashed in so thieves can get access to the plushies. 6 Shops have been targeted by thieves wanting to steal the fluffy stock Credit: Jam Press/Gorge Bear Company 6 Over the past year, the brand has experienced significant growth in popularity Credit: Getty
The Sun
6 days ago
- The Sun
Brazen thief who stuffed £650 of Jellycats down TROUSERS avoids jail… after moaning about online abuse from viral clip
A BRAZEN thief who was filmed stuffing a £650 Jellycat haul down her trousers has avoided jail after moaning about online abuse because the clip went viral. Samantha Lawrence stuffed a "significant amount" of the trendy plushies from St Peter's Garden Centre, Worcester, into her trousers and bags. 6 6 6 The 38-year-old was caught on CCTV, helping herself to the incredibly popular soft toys from the shelves on June 7 this year. As she snatched the toys - worth £655 - she put them in shopping bags and crammed them down her trousers. The next day she struck The Valley shopping centre in Evesham, where she pinched Jellycats worth £121. She later returned to the same shopping centre where she stole a further £170 worth of the toys. The court heard that the footage of Lawrence's Jellycat-snatching went viral online which caused her "mental health to suffer". Chris Aggri, defending, said she was on a cocktail of medication for her anxiety. He added: "She has been targeted on social media and her mental health has suffered as a result. "She has learned her lesson and is deeply remorseful." Lawrence was recognised by the CCTV and police swooped on her home in Norton, Evesham, where officers found hundreds of stolen Jellycats. She admitted three counts of theft when she appeared at Worcester Magistrates' Court on Friday. 'B----, I'LL KILL YOU' Chilling rise of Jellycat gangs - how toys sparked crimewave where KIDS are used as cover & scammers terrorise families Prosecutor Lauren Millichip told the court Lawrence had stolen Jellycats worth a total of £948.28. She said: "Officers attended her address and found a quantity of Jellycats, some of these she said she had bought. "She told officers she had gone into the stores with the intention of stealing the Jellycats." Lawrence was ordered to pay compensation to the shops she stole from and fined £120 with a £48 victim surcharge. Chair of the bench, Caroline Taylor, said: "We've listened to what's been said. "The matters are serious, you have deliberately targeted the stores, one on two separate occasions. "They are not insignificant amounts of money. "You will pay compensation of £657.79 to St Peter's and £292.49 to The Valley. "We've taken into account your guilty plea, so a fine of £180 has been reduced to £120 due to that guilty plea. "You will also pay a £48 victim surcharge." The court heard Lawrence was already working with the probation service and magistrates said they expected this to continue. Speaking at the time of the thefts, William Blake, managing director of St Peter's Garden Centre, said: "We were deeply disappointed by the incident, where a significant amount of stock was stolen from our store. "As an independent, family-run business, every loss impacts not just our shelves but the hard-working team behind the scenes. "Our staff work tirelessly to create a warm and welcoming environment for all visitors, and it's disheartening when that is taken advantage of." Jellycats are uniquely shaped soft toys that are hugely popular right now, thanks to their quirky designs and super-soft material. Over the past year, the brand has experienced significant growth in popularity. As a result, there has been a major toy-snatching crime wave sweeping the UK - and fakes cropping up left right and centre. In April, The Gorge Bear Company in Cheddar, Somerset, was brutally ram-raided by at least two thieves. They stole £20,000 worth of Jellycat soft toys in a bizarre night-time raid. This comes amid fears that organised groups of shoplifters are targeting Jellycat soft toys in order to resell them online for as much as £2,400. And when Labubu toys also went viral, criminals began to target them too. Toy owners have reported their keyrings being taken from their bags as they walk, and even their car windows being smashed in so thieves can get access to the plushies. 6 6 6
