Nicole-Louise Jackson fined in Roma Magistrates Court over bottle shop theft

A mother of four who put a bottle of vodka down her shirt while trying to fool a shop attendant was busted after the theft was caught on camera.

Roma Magistrates Court. Photo Melissa Mobbs / Western Star

A liquor heist that involved a ruse to fool a shop attended was foiled by CCTV that captured a woman smuggle a bottle of vodka down her shirt.

Mum of four, Nicole-Louise Jackson pleaded guilty to stealing in Roma Magistrates Court on February 7, after she and her co-accused stole two bottles of spirits from the Club Hotel in Roma.

Police prosecutor Ellysha Geddes told the court Jackon, who has a 12-page criminal history, and her co-accused entered the bottle shop at the Club Hotel in Roma at 5.20pm on January 20.

Ms Geddes said the pair made their way to the spirits aisle, where CCTV caught Jackson putting a bottle of Smirnoff vodka down her shirt, and her co-accused putting a litre bottle of Jim Beam down his pants.

The court was told the pair then approached the counter with a third bottle of alcohol, where they told the shop assistant they had forgotten their credit card card. They left the store, leaving the third bottle on the counter.

Magistrate Michael Wood gave Jackson credit for pleading guilty at the first opportunity, but was concerned by the element of deceit in the offending.

“There was an element of contrivance and premeditation about this, in particular trying to distract the shop assistant by leaving a bottle of alcohol on the counter,” Mr Wood said.

Jackson’s legal representative told the court that the woman was a mother of four and that she had been drinking for a few days before the offending.

Jackson was fined $1000 and a conviction was recorded.

Jackson’s co-accused has been charged and will face Roma Magistrates Court on March 5.

Originally published as Nicole-Louise Jackson fined in Roma Magistrates Court over bottle shop theft