STEALING meat and fruit from a supermarket before being chased by police through an underground car park has ended in a criminal conviction for a woman.
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Stephanie Soo Young Choi-Newman, 31, of Rankin Street, Bathurst, was convicted in her absence at Bathurst Local Court on March 13, 2024 of shoplifting.
Police documents before the court said Choi-Newman was browsing the shelves of one of the Bathurst CBD supermarkets just after 1pm on December 15, 2023 and putting a number of items into her trolley.
Due to what was described as her suspicious behaviour, loss prevention officers watched as she made her way around the store.
As Choi-Newman got to the self-serve checkout, she scanned the loose products in her trolley but not the items she had stored in two large cooler bags, according to police.
She left the store and was confronted by the officers before she took off.
Nearby police chased Choi-Newman, who they described as "hostile and aggressive", through the underground car park.
When she was stopped and arrested, she said she didn't pay because she forgot the items were in the bags, police said.
She had $140.47 worth of fruit and various cuts of meat for which she hadn't paid.
She was given a two-year banning notice from the supermarket chain.
Sentence
Magistrate Elizabeth Ellis read the charge aloud in open court before she found the matter proved in Choi-Newman's absence.
Choi-Newman was fined $800.
Jay-Anna Sleeman
Reporter for the Western Advocate. First began as a sports journalist with ACM in 2018 before moving on to cover news and court.
Reporter for the Western Advocate. First began as a sports journalist with ACM in 2018 before moving on to cover news and court.
