Woman from Spilsby who stole from store has knife in coat pocket

A 43 YRachel Ann Lenton of Woodlands Avenue, Spilsby had admitted the offence of possessing a knife in

public, as well as shoplifting and breaking a Community Protection Order and was appearing for sentence

following a report from the Probation Service.

Prosecuting, Jim Clare said a member of the public rang police on the afternoon of March 2 last year to

say a woman was seen in Lincoln Road and to be carrying a knife in her coat pocket.

When the woman was found by officers, she was seen to be drunk and to have a black handled knife on

her which she said was for cheese.

He said that on May 16 last year, Lenton went into the Heron store in Lumley Road in Skegness and stole

sausages and bacon valued at £2 and on July 23 at 2pm, she was seen drinking alcohol in public in

Algitha Road, just a day after being served with a Community Protection Order ordering her not to do so.

Mitigating, Philippa Chatterton said the knife was never in Lenton's hand and, had she not been alcoholic

dependent and not thinking properly, she would not have taken it out of the house.

Lenton was ordered to carry out 20 days of rehabilitation and was fined £40.

She was also ordered to pay £180 in court costs and charges and £2 compensation to the Heron store.