'I was a brazen shoplifter for 12 months and risked my career until my lightbulb moment'
'I was a brazen shoplifter for 12 months and risked my career until my lightbulb moment'
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A mum has lifted the lid on her experiences of brazenly shoplifting for 12 months. Samantha Donnelly went undetected as she repeatedly nicked low value items from shops and supermarkets in her area. She estimates she secured groceries, like bread, milk and vegetables, worth a total of £1,000 in the year.
But after Samantha, a quaified primary school teacher, was eventually snagged, she visited her GP and was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). The doctor explained to Samantha she "had a compulsion for excitement and validation" and sent her to a therapy group, at which she met other people with similar shoplifting experiences.
The mum, from north London, has since kicked out the habit - but gets nervous when she goes shopping. She now wants to share her experience to raise awareness of mental health challenges. Samantha, who risked her career when she repeatedly shoplifted, said: "I know that some thieves are stealing for financial gain. Some will be stealing because they can’t afford their food or clothes, which is tragic.
"But some people – and judging by my support group, a lot of women – are stealing because their mental health has taken a downwards turn. It’s no excuse, of course. Lots of people with mental health problems do not turn to crime. But if one woman reads my story and recognises herself in it, I want her to know that she can get help – before she does something she really regrets.".
Shoplifting offences recorded by police in England and Wales hit a 20-year high, with a total of 469,788 incidents logged in the year to June 2024. This is a 29% increase from the 365,173 recorded in the previous 12 months, marking the highest figure since records began in March 2003, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
