welsh equivalent of “watchdog” becomes a police dog..
it is crime – but a bit concerned that the BBC are taking on law enforcement duties – particularly as they are subject to less “fair trial” restructions and their is an obvious commercial aspect of the entertainment value of the crime show..
Shoplifters caught by BBC cameras
Three women who were caught shoplifting by a BBC Wales television programme have been put under 18-month community rehabilitation orders. Linda McConkey, Beverley Hill and Wendy Bristock, all from Cardiff, were secretly filmed by Week In Week Out stealing from stores in south Wales.
The three admitted charges of conspiracy to steal at a hearing at Swansea Crown Court on Friday.
Judge Gerald Price said the women had been “shamed by the BBC”.
The court heard that the defendants were followed by the Week in Week Out crew as they stole clothing from six shops in Swansea in October 2002.
McConkey, 51, from Splott, Hill, 42, from Tremorfa, and Gristock, 38, from Roath, were filmed using cameras hidden inside handbags.
Bill Peters, prosecuting, told the court that the women had carried empty, branded shopping bags into the stores and then shielded each other as they stole clothes.
The value of what they had stolen was not discovered but “the bags were bulging”, Mr Peters said.
They then took the clothing to a fast food restaurant, hiding price tags and hangers in the toilets.
‘Deeply ashamed’
A week later, the court heard, another Week In Week Out crew followed McConkey and Hill as they stole from three shops in Bridgend.
The footage was handed over to police and the women were arrested.
Mr Peters described them as “well-organised shoplifters”, telling the court that McConkey had six previous convictions for the offence, and Hill and Gristock both had nine.
The women’s defence barristers said their clients had been deeply ashamed at being publicly identified by BBC Wales and that members of their families had also been humiliated by the exposure.
They also criticised the two-and-a-half years it had taken for the case to be brought to court.
Judge Price said he had taken this into account when deciding not to hand down custodial sentences.
Instead, he imposed 18-month community rehabilitation orders on each of the women, and ordered McConkey and Hill to carry out 80 hours of unpaid community work, to attend a women’s programme, and to pay £150 costs.
He ordered Gristock to carry out 60 hours’ community work and pay £100 costs.
Judge Price told the court that each defendant has a criminal past for similar behaviour and had carried out their operations “with a degree of sophistication”.
He said they had been “shamed by the BBC” and that they should feel “absolute disgrace”.
curiously no Welsh version of this article…. (or not an easily searchable one, stil getting to grips with the concept of mutations…)
