An Arbroath shoplifter threatened to stab a Tesco employee with a needle after she was stopped trying to leave the supermarket with a trolley full of unpaid-for items.
Leanne Dickson admitted attacking the employee when she appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court.
The 34-year-old also pled guilty to stealing items from a garden in the town after she was spotted trying to get a purloined petrol lawnmower into a taxi.
Dickson, of Railton Crescent, admitted that on October 6 2021, she stole a quadbike, car ramps and a lawnmower from a property in her hometown’s Townhead Road.
Three days prior
The court heard Dickson was seen at 7am acting suspiciously, fiscal depute Sarah Wilkinson said.
“She was seen to be carrying a lawnmower into a taxi,” Mr Wilkinson said.
The lawnmower’s owner soon became aware that it and a faulty quadbike were amongst items missing from their property.
Dickson – who was on bail at the time – had been caught on camera making off and police enquired with the taxi company.
Officers found that Dickson hadn’t paid the fare and the driver had taken the quad to a nearby garage.
The £120 lawnmower was traced in another garden in Townhead Road and a social media appeal helped recover the other items.
Targeted Tesco
On October 9 2021, Dickson tried to leave Tesco in Arbroath with a trolley full of items she hadn’t paid for.
At 5pm, employee Lisa Patterson heard the security alarm go and was aware the security guard hadn’t started work.
She found Dickson leaving with a trolley loaded with £375 worth of spirits and electronics.
Ms Patterson stopped Dickson but the thief screamed: “It’s my trolley, it’s all my stuff.”
Ms Wilkinson added: “At this time, the accused’s anger increased.”
Dickson grabbed a bag for life from the trolley containing bottles of booze worth £115.50.
There was a struggle over the bag and Dickson lunged at the employee, saying: “I’ve got a needle.”
“She threatened to stab her with the needle,” Ms Wilkinson continued.
“She did not present a needle.”
The remaining items in the trolley were recovered by staff.
Dickson appeared in the dock two days later.
Appearing this week, she admitted stealing from the garden in Arbroath and from Tesco three days later.
She also pled guilty to assaulting Ms Patterson by acting in an aggressive manner, pulling at a bag and threatening she’d stab her with a needle.
Her solicitor Nick Whelan explained his client was serving a sentence at HMP Greenock and the earliest date she is likely to be liberated is September 15.
Sheriff Paul Brown deferred sentencing until August 21 for reports.
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