Questions linger over stolen lingerie

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This article was published 01/06/2023 (1212 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A woman has been sentenced to time served in jail and will have to pay back an adult boutique store for stealing more than $1,000 worth of lingerie.

Kristin Bone pleaded guilty to a charge of theft under $5,000 in court on Monday for stealing lingerie from Smitten earlier this year. The judge ordered Bone to pay back the store for the items she stole.

In addition, Bone will also have to pay hundreds of dollars in fines after pleading guilty to numerous charges she racked up around town, including mischief, forgery, failure to attend court, possession of break-in tools and possession of property obtained by crime.

On Feb. 11, Bone, along with another woman, took a shopping trip at Smitten adult boutique on 18th Street. The women brought numerous items from the store into the fitting rooms, where they removed the tags. According to video surveillance footage that police reviewed, Bone is seen with 11 items of lingerie, which she left the store without paying for. The total value of the undergarmets was $1,161.55 and prosecutors noted that none were ever found.

Bone also admitted to depositing a fraudulent $350 cheque into her bank account and breaking into the lobby of a Brandon apartment building. On another occasion, she was found with break-in tools — a steel crowbar and a prying tool as well as a wallet with numerous cards that didn’t belong to her after police spotted her walking on the street carrying a TV.

Crown attorney Caroline Lacey asked the court that in addition to the restitution order, Bone be placed on a period of probation. The prosecutor said she took into account the fact that Bone has a limited criminal record of mostly driving offences. Then in 2022 and 2023, she racked up a bunch of property related offences.

“She has now spent almost a month in custody [and] I think that will serve Ms. Bone hopefully understanding the seriousness of these offences,” Lacey said.

Bone’s defence lawyer, Andrew Synyshyn, told the court that getting mixed up with the wrong people contributed to Bone’s offending. He said that his client has struggled with addictions issues and has been homeless for some time.

Synyshyn spoke about Bone’s life growing up on Keeseekoowenin First Nation. Both of her grandparents and a number of family members went to residential schools, and she had her first child, a daughter, when she was still a teenager. She ultimately lost that daughter, which resulted in significant trauma for her, the defence lawyer said. She now has four children, who are living with family in Keeseekoowenin.

Bone, who appeared by video from the Women’s Correctional Centre, apologized for taking up the court’s time and said that she has had a lot of time to think about improving herself for the benefit of her kids.

Judge Patrick Sullivan told Bone that she did not have to apologize to the court, but rather apologize to the businesses she stole from, the people whose money she took, and her children.

“You know who you really hurt by any of this?” the judge asked Bone. She could be seen on the video screen nodding in agreement.

Sullivan said he was pleased to hear that Bone has plans to get her children back in her life and tackling her addictions issues.

But the judge did remind Bone that if she was back in court again from more of the same offences, the next sentence would be lengthier and the jail time longer. In addition to time served in jail, and the restitution payment to Smitten, Bone will also have to pay more than $1,000 in fines for her other offences.

» gmortfield@brandonsun.com

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