Today The Mirror features an article by First Features Editor Katy Weitz about the rise of the middle-class shoplifter.
After TV chef Antony Worrall Thompson was caught shoplifting five times in 16 days from Tesco’s we were tasked by The Mirror to examine what causes well-off people to steal.
Our intriguing report features Abigail, a mum-of-two, who went through a difficult period of her life when she got stuck in a violent and abusive relationship.
The troubles at home sparked a shoplifting spree that lasted four months and saw Abigail steal over 50 times, even when her baby boy was with her.
Unknown to her at the time, Abigail’s forays into the criminal world were a cry for help, a desperate plea for those around her to notice that she’d become trapped in a miserable existence with a controlling and bullying man.
With her self-worth at an all-time low, stealing became her means of escape.
“At first I stuck to small, independent shops and market stalls, which aren’t big on security,” she says. “I’d pick up bangles and put them on my wrist. I’d take most of them off, but not all, and walk away. Nobody ever noticed.
“The crazy thing was I couldn’t wear any of it at home because my boyfriend wouldn’t let me. So all my loot was stashed in my bottom drawer.”
She went on: “None of it was planned. Looking back now, I can’t believe that I put my son at risk. I was at rock bottom.”
With our experts analysis, our feature provides a fascinating insight into the psychology behind shoplifting.
To read more go to: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2012/01/17/what-is-it-that-drives-people-to-shoplift-items-they-don-t-need-115875-23703423/#ixzz1jhtcR8MH
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