Woman jailed for shoplifting spree in the east of the county

A woman has been jailed for a number of shoplifting offences in the east of the county which saw close to £2,500 worth of goods stolen.

Victoria Attrell, aged 36, appeared at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court on 1 January 2025 where she pleaded guilty to the following offences:

• Theft of £1,500 worth of meat from BP Portchester on 31 August 2024.
• Theft of £115.98 worth of goods from Co-op in Purbrook Chase Precinct, Waterlooville, on 9 December.

The December offence was committed whilst Attrell was serving a suspended sentence which had been given to her for a previous theft series, comprising 16 offences committed between 9 November and 28 November 2024.

During that series, she stole £869.55 worth of goods from shops in Havant, and one shop in Southbourne, West Sussex.

Attrell, of Hampshire Street in Portsmouth, has now been jailed for 30 weeks, which includes the activation of her previous suspended sentence.

Shoplifting is not a victimless crime - repeat offences in particular can create an environment of fear for many retail workers.

We want to stop this type of behaviour, and encourage businesses affected by theft and retail crime to please keep reporting incidents to police us so we can relentlessly pursue those responsible.