Rebecca Lee Giddings: Pregnant thief steals meat from Lavington Woolworths

A pregnant North Albury woman with a craving for prime cuts has been bagged for trying to make a getaway with ill-gotten produce.

A North Albury woman has faced charges after stealing $110 of lamb chops from Woolworths. Picture: Nicole Cleary

A pregnant thief with a taste for expensive meat has been bagged for stealing more than $100 of prime cuts meat from a supermarket.

Rebecca Lee Giddings faced Albury Local Court this week pleading guilty to larceny.

The 35-year-old went to Lavington Woolworths on September 11 armed with two pinks bags for her haul.

But her plan quickly came unstuck when she was caught on security cameras stashing three trays of lamb cutlets from the deli fridge into a bag.

When she tried to leave, a staff member pounced, demanding she reveal the contents of her carriers.

Giddings sneakily opened up one bag, while trying to conceal the other, but the jig was soon up and police were called when she made a dash with the ill-gotten produce.

Giddings’ defence solicitor Timothy Hemsley said she had been homeless for seven months after getting out of custody, and that she had recently found somewhere to live.

“She is now 11 weeks pregnant and has now been drug free for the past eight weeks,” Mr Hemsley said.

“She stopped using as soon as she found out she was pregnant.”
Police prosecutor Andrew Pike suggested the threshold for imprisonment had been crossed due to Giddings previous record.

Magistrate Richard Funston took into account Giddings pregnancy and sentenced her to a 12 month community corrections order with the condition that she abstain from drugs.

“The threshold for you to be sent to jail has been crossed, but I’m taking into account your exceptional circumstances,” Magistrate Funston said.

He also ordered Giddings to pay $110 compensation to Woolworths.

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