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Caught shoplifting, but not directly and with no police presence.
Hi everyone, and thank you in advance to anyone who can offer me some words of advice. I've spent quite a few hours looking at these posts so I understand they are a dime a dozen. The long story short is that I have been shoplifting for a while now and I recently received a kick in the butt to get me to stop, now that consequences I'm not prepared for are possible.
I am a full time parent to 3 young kids. They are usually with me all day every day and I am happy with that almost all of the time, I get to chill when they are in bed. The point being this means that when I have shoplifted, though they are blissfully unaware I have always had at least 1 child with me and used the buggy to conceal items. I'm now absolutely terrified that this will put me in a high culpability role for involving a child.
I was recently followed around a place I have shoplifted from, although I had taken nothing on this occasion so left without incident. After this, at another branch another day, again with absolutely nothing on me I was approached shortly after arriving and told they know which places I have been, that I am banned from all branches etc. and that they have my name and address, which they do along with my car registration. I have at no point been directly caught with unpaid items in my possession but they must have something on CCTV. I have had no contact with the police at any time. I have not been presented with or signed any form from anyone. I have no idea what they have on me or what the value is which along with the above concerns worries me over financial thresholds for punishment.
I am expecting a letter from a civil recovery firm at some point but so much more distressing is the thought of police involvement. I've stolen to provide for my family, I understand the police/courts have more sympathy for that apparently, but more recently I have needed simple cash so have stolen non necessity items to sell on which is what I suspect has got me into trouble. We are a low income family, money is of course tight which isn't an excuse but I hear is a mitigating factor. I have no prior convictions, but due to using the buggy and not knowing the value or how long back I'm looking at, I'm so scared of being taken away from my kids who I've been with every day since they were born.
I am a full time parent to 3 young kids. They are usually with me all day every day and I am happy with that almost all of the time, I get to chill when they are in bed. The point being this means that when I have shoplifted, though they are blissfully unaware I have always had at least 1 child with me and used the buggy to conceal items. I'm now absolutely terrified that this will put me in a high culpability role for involving a child.
I was recently followed around a place I have shoplifted from, although I had taken nothing on this occasion so left without incident. After this, at another branch another day, again with absolutely nothing on me I was approached shortly after arriving and told they know which places I have been, that I am banned from all branches etc. and that they have my name and address, which they do along with my car registration. I have at no point been directly caught with unpaid items in my possession but they must have something on CCTV. I have had no contact with the police at any time. I have not been presented with or signed any form from anyone. I have no idea what they have on me or what the value is which along with the above concerns worries me over financial thresholds for punishment.
I am expecting a letter from a civil recovery firm at some point but so much more distressing is the thought of police involvement. I've stolen to provide for my family, I understand the police/courts have more sympathy for that apparently, but more recently I have needed simple cash so have stolen non necessity items to sell on which is what I suspect has got me into trouble. We are a low income family, money is of course tight which isn't an excuse but I hear is a mitigating factor. I have no prior convictions, but due to using the buggy and not knowing the value or how long back I'm looking at, I'm so scared of being taken away from my kids who I've been with every day since they were born.
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