Prolific thief buys food from Greggs with stolen bank card

A prolific thief was handed a two-month prison sentence after stealing a bank card and using to go on an £80 shopping spree - including a stop at Greggs.

Jamie-Lee Hitchings, 26, stole a bank card after turning up unannounced at his home in Ystrad, early in the morning on June 1.

The occupant was sleeping when he heard a loud knocking at the door and spoke to the defendant who was known to him.

She went on to use the card to purchase almost £80 worth of items including food from Greggs.

Prosecutor Amelia Pike detailed the various purchases made by Hitchings before the card was cancelled at around 9am.

She made a £4.09 purchase from Costcutter, a £6.25 purchase from Texaco, bought a £3.40 bus ticket from Stagecoach, spent £51.09 at Spar, paid for a £9 bus ticket from Stagecoach, and spent £3.80 at Greggs.

All these payments were made in the Tonypandy and Ton Pentre area.

Hitchings, of no fixed abode, was arrested the next day and denied the theft, claiming Mr Pritchard had told her to use the card for cashback and he would claim the money back.

She later pleaded guilty to theft and six counts of fraud. The court heard she had 22 previous convictions including 10 offences of theft, burglary, and shoplifting.

In mitigation Richard Ace said the amount in this case was relatively low and his client had been on remand in custody for three and a half months awaiting sentence.

He said the defendant had a difficult upbringing with violence in the household, which had led her to using drugs as a young teenager but since the death of her mother in 2021 she has been free of substance misuse.

The barrister said his client had mental health issues and had been diagnosed with PTSD and after her release from prison she plans to move to Worcestershire where she has family.

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