Overview

• The couple were sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court for two thefts committed at a Horsham garden centre in December 2021 and a Winchester Marks & Spencer in September 2022.
• They stole £581.48 worth of Le Creuset cookware and premium spirits, and £570.42 worth of steaks and wine in their two raids.
• Pauline Al Said was convicted of two counts of theft while Mark Wheatcroft faced one theft charge and one assault conviction after threatening and making contact with a shop security officer.
• Representing themselves, the pair used a de-tagging device to remove security tags before fleeing and argued their actions were on the ‘lower end’ of harm.
• Prosecutors failed to attend the sentencing hearing, allowing the couple to avoid trial costs and drawing criticism from Judge Cutler.