Jail for ‘vulnerable’ Worksop woman after 100+ convictions for shoplifting

Kerry Hall appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday after breaching two suspended sentences imposed for burglary and assaulting two police officers.

Noel Philo, prosecuting, said she stole from Boyes, B&M, Morrisons and One Stop 11 times in October and Noember last year.

He said she returned the items when she was spoken to by staff on four occasions and didn't threaten or assault any of them.

Hall, aged 37, formerly of Lincoln Street, Worksop, admitted the offences in the magistrates’ court in January.

Nottingham Crown Court heard she was jailed in November 2019 and January 2021, and has 49 previous convictions for 156 offences dating back to 2000, including 105 thefts and 42 breaches of court orders.

Lucy Jones, mitigating, said Hall had done really well on some of the order and has been drug-free while on remand in prison.

She asked Judge John Sampson to reduce her overall sentence to take Hall’s good progress into account.

A psychiatric report found Hall has a mental age of 11, and is ‘clearly vulnerable’.

Ms Jones said a lack of stable accommodation and underlying mental health problems prevented Hall from breaking the cycle she is in. And relapses into drug abuse lead her into offending.

Activating the sentences to jail her for 24 months, the judge said: “Because of your vulnerabilities you have been given chance after chance after chance.

"But within days of receiving the last suspended sentence you were committing the first of these 11 offences.”