Woman gets jail time for shoplifting

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This article was published 19/10/2019 (2208 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A woman who shoplifted from three Brandon stores while in the throws of a methamphetamine addiction was sent to jail on Thursday.

Tracy Schmidt, 46, pleaded guilty in Brandon provincial court to three counts of theft under $5,000 and failing to attend court.

On July 13, 2018, an employee of The Little Shoppe called police reporting a woman had stole several items valued at approximately $216, according to a pre-sentence report.

The suspect was caught on surveillance video taking the items and leaving the store, so The Little Shoppe posted pictures of the woman on their social media and she was identified as Schmidt.

Less than a month later, a loss prevention officer at the Real Canadian Superstore called police advising they caught Schmidt trying to leave with $279 worth of merchandise.

Schmidt was seen on surveillance video concealing cosmetic products, hair accessories and electronics in her bag before leaving the store without paying.

The loss prevention officer stopped her at the door.

Then at the end of September, the manager of Wheat City Cowtown called police reporting a woman — later identified as Schmidt — had walked out with a $200 pair of shoes.

Schmidt was once again caught on surveillance video trying on a pair of shoes before concealing them in her jacket and walking out of the store.

Crown attorney Deidre Badcock asked the court to consider a jail sentence, given Schmidt’s history of similar offences and the report rating her has a very high risk to reoffend.

“When individuals steal from places like Superstore, the costs are eventually passed on to every other person in the community,” Badcock said, noting the other two stores targeted were smaller and locally owned. “These aren’t victimless crimes.”

Badcock did acknowledge Schmidt was was a vulnerable person at the time of the offences, she said, and struggling with a severe addiction.

“Ms. Schmidt is one of the people in this community of Brandon who is struggling with the grip of meth use. Meth has really ravaged our community and the people in it, and Ms. Schmidt is one of those people,” Badcock said. “Sadly Ms. Schmidt is one of those individuals who needs to come to the realization on her own that she needs to make changes.”

Defence lawyer Ryan Fawcett agreed Schmidt has had a “difficult life,” but said she has entered into detox and been clean for a couple of months.

“She wants a better life for herself,” Fawcett said, arguing that although a jail sentence might be reasonable, it was not necessary.

“I appreciate (a jail sentence) would send a message to the community, but the other message that can be sent to the community is that for someone who is trying to help themselves, the court can be in a position to offer someone a hand up, and that would be through probation services,” Fawcett said.

Ultimately, given her criminal record, Judge Shauna Hewitt-Michta sentenced Schmidt to two months in jail, followed by one year of supervised probation.

“I’m sad to read that pre-sentence report because you’ve been allowing yourself to be treated as less valuable than you are.

You’re very valuable,” Hewitt-Michta said. “I hope that you can recognize your value and make your health and wellbeing your absolute first priority.”

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