A COUPLE stole a bank card and used it for a spending spree at designer clothing stores before booking themselves into a hotel, a court has heard.

Jasmine Hart, of Southchurch Road, Southend, was with Oliver Bishop, 20, when the two approached Toby Cracknell before managing to take his bank card and mobile phone.

Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court heard on Friday how the pair spent £2,500 on Canvey as well as in Colchester and Braintree when they bought products from Nike, Calvin Klein and Hugo Boss stores in June last year.

 

Theft - the incident took place in Colchester High Street last yearTheft - the incident took place in Colchester High Street last year when the defendants stole a mobile phone and bank card from their victim (Image: Daniel Rees, Newsquest) The pair then booked a room at a hotel and were later arrested when officers tracked payments which had been made on the debit card.

Bishop, of Mortham Street, London, appeared before magistrates on a video link from HMP Wandsworth, and admitted one count each of theft and fraud.

Hart, 20, attended court in-person and admitted the same charges.

Elliot Moulster, mitigating for Hart, said the defendant was homeless at the time and had been influenced by Bishop when they targeted the victim in Colchester High Street.

He said: “She was rather young and vulnerable, was effectively homeless, living on the streets, and it was the co-defendant who was a driving force and significant influence on this defendant becoming involved.

“The co-defendant was using the card and making the bookings. She admits she was present but not the driving force behind this whatsoever.” 

Spree - the defendants spent £2,500 on clothes, taxis, and a hotel roomSpree - the defendants spent £2,500 on clothes, taxis, and a hotel room (Image: Pixabay)
Coral Fitzgerald, mitigating for Bishop, said the defendant was 18 at the time and had recently been made homeless having previously been raised in the care system, describing it as “an opportunistic offence”.

Bishop was jailed for 17 weeks.

He must also pay his victim £1,250 in compensation on his release.

Hart’s sentence was adjourned so a pre-sentence report can be prepared.

It was added her childcare commitments for her six-year-old and two-month-old will need to be considered before any unpaid work is ordered.