A WOMAN who helped with the theft of almost £500 worth of fragrance from a city centre store has been heavily fined.
Susan Smith, from Malvern, and Thomas Raymond stole nine boxes of the 1Million perfume, valued at £494, from Debenhams on the High Street on June 9.
The 21-year-old pleaded guilty to theft at Worcester Magistrates Court last Friday, but admitted to stealing only one of the boxes, saying Raymond took the other eight.
At 4.25pm on June 9 a loss prevention officer at the store was alerted to the fragrance department as there was a large gap in the stock.
CCTV was reviewed and it showed both Smith and Raymond pushing pushchairs around Debenhams while they concealed the products under the chairs, the court was told.
Magistrates also heard police attended the store the next day and saw the pair with the same pushchairs on the High Street and arrested them both.
The perfume was sold on for between £20 and £30.
Smith was fined £75 for the offence and ordered to pay £57 in compensation, £85 court costs and a £20 victim surcharge.
District Judge Nigel Cadbury: “I think that really it is not going to make any difference to sentence whether you were convicted of all the thefts or just the one box you took.
“You have been out of trouble for three years now so I don’t think it will make a difference.”
Raymond had failed to appear on the day and a warrant was issued.