Shopper attempted to scam Asda by swapping barcodes

Jordan Baggaley, of South Terrace, Boston, entered the town’s supermarket at 10.45am, on March 19.

She selected a number of groceries before heading to a section where there were self-labelling barcodes.

Prosecutor Marie Stace Stace explained to Boston Magistrates’ Court how Baggaley then used the new barcodes at a self-service checkout to get a lower price.

Ms Stace said: “The only item she paid full price for was jam.”

Ms Stace said Baggaley had told police that she had been told by unnamed friends ‘how easy it was to relabel items’.

She was also in breach of a 12 month suspended sentence of 12 weeks custody.

Defending Phillipa Chatterton admitted Baggaley had previously been before court for thefts which had been linked to an addiction to heroin, however she said this was not the case this time and said her client had been working hard to combat her addiction.

She said her client had been ‘completely clean’ for two months and regularly attended Drug and Alcohol Recovery Team clinics.

She said in this instance there had been difficulty in getting a sick note to support Baggaley and her partner’s benefits which had been suspended for two-and-a-half weeks.

Ms Chatterton said: “They got to the point they had no money for food and were starving.”

She said Baggaley ‘did pay something’ but the store became aware of what she was doing and stopped her.

Ms Chatterton added: “The items were all food items. They were intended to feed herself and her partner.”

She said the sick note had now been produced and benefits reinstated. She said she was concerned that if the suspended sentence was imposed and Baggaley sent to prison, it could be a ‘backward step’ and that she could be ‘tempted by illicit substances’.

Sentencing Baggaley, chair of magistrates David Milner-Scudder said: “My colleagues and I have agreed that some times, people can be helped, sometimes they cannot. You have kept off drugs.

“The next step is to stop committing crime, or you are going to end up in prison.”

Magistrates fined Baggaley £50 and ordered her to pay £85 costs and £20 victim surcharge. The suspended sentence was extended by three months.