Asda, if you've got a pram, presume your on the rob!

Crazy_Jamie

Arthurian wrote:

I still don't really see how it can be dishonest appropriation (theft) if the customer was going to pay for the goods at the till.

It can't be. But that wasn't the question; the question was whether or not you can commit theft within the statutory definition without leaving the store. The answer is that you can. Obviously somebody who does not intend to steal cannot commit theft whichever way you spin it.

Beetlemama

Someone got banned from Tesco's Weston Favell for shopping in an inappropriate manner, she was putting things in her bag or something but still in the shop, so technically hadn't left the shop with it but the shop weren't having it, they saw it as an attempted theft, couldn't charge her with theft but as the shop is private property they can ban who they like.

Of course you can continue to shop the way you do (and be offended), but weigh it up against how inconvenient it would be to have a little one, and a new baby and have to go to the next town or where ever because they had banned you from ASDA for inappropriate shopping practices. I'd just get the basket.

Becles

Lip_Stick wrote: »

Do you not realise how hard it is to push a pram straight with one hand whilst holding on to a full heavy shopping basket with the other?

I used to hang the basket on my arm with the handles near my elbow, leaving both hands free to push the pram.

My daughter stole some Blu-Tak when she was about 18 months old. She was terrible for grabbing at things on clip strips and one day when I lifted her out of the trolley seat, I discovered she was sitting on a packet of Blu-Tak that I hadn't paid for

Valli

Arthurian wrote: »

Thanks, Valli, custardy and powerful_rogue - I was thinking of people putting things in and under prams, while they go round the supermarket, rather than stuffing things down their trousers! I still don't really see how it can be dishonest appropriation (theft) if the customer was going to pay for the goods at the till.
2. ‘Dishonestly’
(1) A person’s appropriation of property belonging to another is not to be regarded as
dishonest-
(a) if he appropriates the property in the belief that he has in law the right to
deprive the other of it, on behalf of himself or of a third person; or
(b) if he appropriates the property in the belief that he would have the other’s
consent if the other knew of the appropriation and the circumstances of it

Which is why your average store detective waits until they've left the store - shifts the balance of probabilities and all that

Theft is not merely 'innocently' walking out of the shop but 'intentionally' not paying or trying to pay so, if you had a few items in a basket, met a mate, got chatting and walked out you could claim you meant to pay (put items in basket) but got distracted.

Apparently (and this has been tested publicly by celebrities) you can put stuff in your trolley; walk out without paying and not be 'done' for theft because you intended to pay

and I speak as a person who has bagged stuff before going to the till - as a young teen I put 'personal' items in a shopping basket because I was so embarrassed - when I got to the till I just let them look in my bag - I'd have DIED of embarrassment if ANYONE had seen me buying what I needed. That's not the only time but (almost 40 years later) I can still bring that episode to mind!

ETA this was a while ago and before scanners - so the personal items in my bag stayed there

purple.sarah

Lip_Stick wrote: »

So whilst they are watching the OP, junkies are walking out with large flat screen tvs. Generally shop lifters have something in common. They try to hide what they are doing.

You're contradicting yourself here, saying shop lifters just walk out with wide screen tvs and then saying they try to hide what they are doing! But yes, some shop lifters do try to hide what they are doing, sometimes by hiding stuff they haven't paid for in a life bag to make it look like they have! Staff can't just ignore such suspicious behaviour or set a double standard for the OP. But they can watch more than one suspicous person at once, there's normally more than one member of staff and CCTV!

jamespir

Azari wrote: »

Link?

At the very least you are putting a completely different interpretation on things than the court concerned did.

Edit: Or there is important information missing concerning prior convictions and/or evidence that the parents were aware of what their child was doing (or had trained it to do that).

The likelihood of two people being sent to jail for a simple shoplifting first offence seems somewhat remote.

it was on here before christmas

vikingaero

In a normal supermarket where a range of baskets, trollies and baby trollies are provided it is strange to place things in bags whilst shopping.

The only place I ever shop and put things in bags is in Lidl or Aldi where baskets and bags aren't provided. There I shop, put things in my bag and tip it out onto the conveyor.

im-lost

I think we need a piccy of the op to decide on this one.
id be inclined to say this has nothing to do with having pram, or even the way she shops, but more to do with
the area she lives and the way she 'looks' let's face it,
having your hair pulled back, big hoopy earrings and wearing a
teacky isn't going to do you any favors if you start putting stuff in
bags and under the pram.

It seems people with small kids think they can do what the hell
they like and not be questioned on their actions,

If somebody without a pram started stuffing stuff in their pockets
then I'm sure the store security would be keeping an eye out, its
no different to 'stashing' stuff in a pram.

I think supermarkets should ban prams in them, have a pram park
at the entrance, put the sprog in the baby trolleys and go do your
shop, much easier.

duchy

It's a case of normal practice.

I used the buggy tray when my son was small-and my local supermarket had no issues with it -If they had-I'd have either changed what I did or changed my supermarket-depending on how they handled it.

OTH Aldi have no issue with you putting your stuff into your own bags as you go round as they don't have baskets only trollies.

Really I think you're just looking for a fight with them -If you want to do something different to the norm then you have to expect the attention your out of the ordinary actions will draw.

heretolearn_2

What's a 'teaky'?

Anyway, putting stuff straight into a bag would look dead suspicious to me!

Why take prams in anyway? What wrong with using the trolleys the supermarkets provide for you with child seats/baby seats for all ages? And if you say you don't want to leave your buggy outside in case it gets nicked, I used to take a bike chain with me and chain it to something. Or if you are driving, leave it in the car. No one HAS to take a pram/buggy in with them and if you do then to start 'hiding' items in it is asking for trouble, really.