A woman considered to be one of New Zealand’s worst “serial and prolific” shoplifters took nearly $8500 worth of clothes from Auckland’s David Jones store in a single day.
Jennifer Gordon, in her late 40s, has an extensive criminal history, with 55 convictions for shoplifting or theft.
She has more than 150 convictions for dishonesty offending, as well as one for dealing in methamphetamine, for which she received two years and four months in prison in 2019.
She is currently back in prison for seven shoplifting convictions and one of possession of cannabis for supply.
The latest convictions cover shoplifting between September 2022 and June 2024, during which she took more than $25,000 worth of goods. None of the property was recovered.
In November last year, Gordon appeared before Judge Maria Pecotic in the Waitakere District Court and was sentenced to two years and six months in prison.
Her criminal history and latest offending was detailed in a recently released High Court decision after she appealed that jail term, arguing it was “manifestly excessive”.
In the High Court at Auckland, Justice Andrew Becroft found otherwise, saying there was “no demonstrated error” in the sentencing judge’s approach and the prison term was an appropriate sentence.
“While courts are traditionally sympathetic to those (often women) with deep-seated psychological problems leading them to struggle with lifelong and habitual shoplifting, the sentencing judge was alive to all these issues,” Justice Becroft said.
The High Court decision listed numerous times when Gordon went to retail stores, took items and left without paying.
Thief hid clothes in bags
Typically, when stealing clothes, she went into the fitting rooms and put the garments in bags she had brought with her, removing security tags.
“Of course, one can imagine more sophisticated shoplifting, but for an individual acting alone, her method was clearly considered and planned,” Justice Becroft said.
Three of the shoplifting outings were to the upmarket David Jones store in Newmarket.
On September 23, 2022, Gordon took $1460 worth of clothes from David Jones, and she returned two days later to steal items worth $2187. On November 1, 2022, she took more clothes worth $8490 from the department store.
Other shops targeted between December 2022 and June 2024 included Rebel Sport at Wairau ($2158 worth of goods), Farmers Albany ($2010 worth of duvet sets), Farmers Northwest ($400 of baby clothes) and Torpedo 7 Albany ($1350).
On April 8, 2023, she hit two stores in one day, taking electrical goods and other items from Briscoes Wairau Park ($4330) and Briscoes Glenfield Mall ($2509).
On April 5, 2024, she took $546 in power tools from Bunnings Westgate but was stopped by store security as she was leaving.
“The accepted summary of facts identifies Ms Gordon as one of the highest-risk recidivist retail crime offenders in the country,” Justice Becroft said.
In September 2024, Gordon was traffic-stopped by police. Her car was searched when officers smelled cannabis.
They discovered three resealable bags containing 88.4g of cannabis, resulting in the conviction for possessing cannabis for supply.
A ‘very sad’ personal life
Justice Becroft said it was clear Gordon had had “a very sad personal life” and now suffered from anxiety, depression and addictions.
On top of that, a psychologist had assessed her as suffering from kleptomania — a compulsion to steal — and she had coped with her history of trauma through stealing, substance abuse and gambling.
Some of Gordon’s shoplifting occurred while she was seeing a counsellor.
Much of it happened when she was on bail.
