A woman who found herself low on cash used a bar code from a reduced sticker in a supermarket to self-scan more than 100 items of food and clothing, a court was told.
Dionne Straughan of Sunderland, England pleaded guilty at a magistrates’ court in to fraud by false representation in the town of Stanley on January 25.I you own a home, you should read this. Thousands of homeowners did this yesterday, and banks are furious! Do this now before it's...
In a reversal of the climax to the long-running game show Supermarket Sweep — where entrants with bulging shopping carts competed to ring up the highest value — the 31-year-old put 117 items in her cart, but sought to keep her bill low.
David Maddison, prosecuting, said Straughan had used a reduced bar code she found on floor in the bread aisle at Asda, a British retailer owned by Wal-Mart, and placed it on her hand before scanning in some 117 items worth about £200, or $250.
All the goods were later recovered and returned to the store.
Paul Donoghue, mitigating, said Straughan was a bright person who had got herself in trouble ten years ago when she started taking heroin. At one point she was classified a prolific offender, but she stayed out of trouble for a long time, he added.
He said: “This offence was not drugs-related.
“She was living with her mother at the time and in her words they were skint and she found (what she thought) was a neat little trick.”
Straughan received a one-year conditional discharge from District Judge Martin Walker.
“I do think that you have done very well to be keeping out of trouble for so long," Walker said, "which previously you have been in so much trouble, it’s impressive.”
She was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £20, or $25.
It is more than ten years since Asda turned its back on Wal-Mart's "Always low prices" slogan, which was launched in 1976.
It was replaced by "More for you for less," which Asda believed symbolized a broader commitment to quality and fresh foods.