Brazen shoplifter jailed after southern spree

A Dunedin woman who described herself as a “kleptomaniac” knew she would be arrested after racking up nearly $10,000 worth of thefts in two months.

Recidivist shoplifter Letiecia Terry Wilson (25) appeared in the Dunedin District Court this week by audio visual link, facing 19 charges of theft and one charge of possessing a methamphetamine pipe.

Wilson had reportedly received three threatening anonymous letters during her time in prison after she shot to local notoriety for her "brazen" crime spree late last year.

On November 16 the defendant was snapped giving Dunedin clothing store staff the middle finger after she stole more than $1500 of goods.

She resorted to the “extensive amount of dishonesty” just two days after completing a Salvation Army rehabilitation programme to address her issues, the court heard.

Judge Emma Smith believed the thefts were targeted rather than a “fleeting thought” and read out each charge during sentencing to hammer home how many victims had been affected by the offending.

“Some of your offending is arrogance,” Judge Emma Smith said.

There were 20 charges in total, spanning from Kaiapoi to Invercargill, with Dunedin being hit the hardest.

Wilson was able to uplift hundreds of dollars of items from supermarkets and various stores around the South Island.

The total value of goods stolen was $9442, of which $4932 worth of goods was taken from Dunedin stores.

Counsel Brendan Stephenson shed some light on what led Wilson into criminality.

His client had a “childhood that was pretty unstable, moving from home to home”, being exposed to substances at an early age which played into an “addictive pattern”, he said.

“When the institutional frameworks have disappeared, she has immediately relapsed into this offending”.

A “compulsion to shoplift” aided her methamphetamine and alcohol use; Wilson describing herself as a “kleptomaniac” despite there being no official diagnosis.

“You are repeatedly dishonest, taking other people’s property,” Judge Smith said.

“You knew you would be arrested, you knew you would be returned to prison.”

The court heard Wilson was hoping for a sentence of supervision rather than prison, in order to address her addiction issues.

Judge Emma Smith disagreed, sentencing her to 17 months’ imprisonment and ordering her to pay the full reparation.

“You are self-destructive and you know it,” said the judge.

“You were exposed by those who were supposed to be looking after you ... to alcohol, drugs and criminality. How did you have a chance?”