A prolific Nottingham shoplifter with what a judge called an “horrific” criminal record threatened to stab a store security guard with a syringe she pulled out of her bag.
Nottingham Crown Court heard how hugely-convicted drug addict Lindsay Gregory “swiped” towards the victim’s face with the hypodermic needle as he tried to stop her leaving a shop weighed down with goods.
The 39-year-old, who has 60 past court appearances to her name for some 140 offences, also targeted other shops and was caught with a raft of different illegal substances during her latest spate of criminality.
But having kept clear of drugs while on remand in prison for the last three months, the now homeless defendant has been given a chance to prove she can stay out of trouble with the help of the probation service.
Handing Gregory a 15-month prison term, suspended for 18 months, Judge Mark Watson said: “Now is the time to give you an opportunity so it is up to you now to prove you can remain crime-free. You are almost 40 years old now and you have what can best be described as an horrific record of offences.
“You stole almost £2,000 of goods and all shop thefts involve victims. These are all shops which are run by hard-working people who deserve to work in safe environments where people like you don’t carry out crimes.
“He was just doing his job, trying to stop you leaving the store as he is allowed to do without fear of being attacked by someone with a needle.” David Webster, prosecuting, said the nine shop thefts all took place in Nottingham between January and June of this year.
He said on the final occasion, when she produced the syringe, she was in The Range at Castle Retail Park. The prosecutor said: “The victim should be commended for his courage in trying to stop the defendant when she reached into her handbag and pulled out a hypodermic syringe which she started swiping towards his face.
“Fortunately for him he did not see that until he watched it back on CCTV. In a victim impact statement he, understandably, says he was simply going about his daily business doing his job and should not expect to be the subject of what he was.”
Gregory, formerly of both The Meadows and Arnold and now of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to numerous shop thefts, possession of cocaine, heroin and ketamine and possession of an offensive weapon. She also admitted failing to surrender to custody when she did not turn up for a previous court appearance.
Bianca Brasoveanu, mitigating, said: “As she says in her letter to the court she needs to deal with her trauma in a better way. Her past was traumatic and she has been in custody since June 9 and unsurprisingly the concern at the forefront of the court will be the likelihood of reoffending.
“The real test is whether she can remain substance free in the community.” As part of the suspended sentence order, the judge ordered the defendant to attend up to 35 rehabilitation sessions and handed her a nine-month drug rehabilitation requirement with a view to keeping her clean from illegal substances.
Source – Nottingham Post
