Caught Shoplifting in Morrisons

[Ingubidire]

Hi, my wife was caught shoplifting just before Christmas in Morrisons supermarket. When she was caught the security person and store manager took her to a room at the back of the store where she had her photo taken and was told that she was now banned from all Morrisons stores for life. She also had her store card taken off of her and was given a letter stating that she might be contacted by DWF solicitors to claim back costs incurred by her. She gave back the items that she took so didn't get away with any goods. But, she has told me that this isn't the first time that she has done this and has previously got away with items from Morrisons.. I'm really not sure why she did this as we are a middle aged couple on a decent income so she had no reason to do it. She has since suffered a nervous breakdown and has started self-harming. She is now on anti-depressants and going to see a psychiatrist. She is full of remorse, but what is making things worse, is that she hasn't heard anything from DWF and she is convinced that she is still being investigated via CCTV evidence based on the dates and times that were present on her store card. Do you know if this would be the case, and if so how long would the investigation take? Does everyone who has shoplifted at Morrisons receive a letter from DWF or is it done on a random basis? It has been nearly 4 months since she committed the offence, and I'm worried that her health could be permanently damaged by this.

[Jinxer]

Tell your wife not to worry and to use Asda or Tesco's from now on. If she does get letters from DWF or RLP to just file them in the bin where they belong.
We now live in a society where shoplifting is less important than getting a parking ticket.

[des8]

Hi and welcome

Please try and impress on your wife that she needs to worry no more.

It is surprising that DWF haven't written, but that is not something to worry about as all you do is ignore them.

Most stores only keep their recordings for a limited time so the chances of them scouring hours of tapes to see if someone has picked up a penny chew are so remote as to be non existent.
And if they did pick up an image of your wife putting an item into a bag they would need to keep a record of her the whole time she was in the shop, .without a break and shewing she had exited without paying and without depositing that item elsewhere in the shop to have the slightest hope......
really it is virtually impossible for there to be any consequences now.

It is so sad that such unnecessary actions have such profound impacts.
I trust she soon recovers her health