Two women sentenced for several shop thefts in Bath

Two women from Bath have been sentenced for a number of shop thefts at stores across the city.

Katie Jane Self, 47, of no fixed abode, was charged with nine shop thefts and seven breaches of a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) and was sentenced to eight weeks in prison at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on Friday 26 September.

Her offending took place across the city, with a number of well-known High Street brands being targeted.

Yasmin Harwood, 24, of no fixed abode, was also charged with five shop thefts and three racially aggravated public order offences, for which she pleaded guilty to, and was sentenced for at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on Friday 26 September.

Harwood was sentenced to an 18-month community order, must complete a 25-day rehabilitation requirement activity, must pay £114 in compensation, and is the subject of a two-year Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO), banning her from areas of Bath city centre and from entering a number of retailers for two years.

Harwood stole from a number of High Street retailers, including chemists and fashion stores. She was racially abusive and made threats to an individual on a number of occasions at one particular shop.

Bath city centre Inspector Dudley Bond said: “Self and Harwood have been prolific in their offending, and while the scale of these thefts hits businesses hard, the ripple effect on our wider community is just as significant.

“Retail crime is something we take extremely seriously—especially our neighbourhood teams, who see first-hand the disruption it causes. We’re working closely with retailers and partner agencies to tackle this head-on.

“Our message to the public and business owners is clear: always report crime. Whether that’s by calling 999 when they are in progress or 101 after the incident. The more intelligence we receive, the clearer the picture we build, and the stronger our response.”