Mansfield clothes bank thief told cops 'charity starts at home'

Rose Morland, 45, of Melbourne Court, admitted theft by finding when she appeared before magistrates in Mansfield on Thursday.

A council CCTV operator spotted Morland stealing the clothes from a receptacle on Morrisons’ car park, in Mansfield Woodhouse, at around 10.15pm, on October 1.

Police were informed and the car Morland was travelling in was stopped shortly afterwards.

Lee Shepherd, prosecuting, said Morland told police she was planning to give the clothes to her nieces and nephews.

“She told police that charity starts at home,” he said.

The court heard she had 11 previous convictions, with the last one in 2012 for being drunk and disorderly.

James Whyley, mitigating, said: “She has a chihuahua dog which recently had six puppiles which were causing a mess.

“A friend told her she had left a duvet at the clothes bank. She took the duvet and also some other items that didn’t belong to her friend.”

He said Morland suffered from pancreatits and emphysema, and suffered from spinal problems.

She was fined £80 and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £30 victim surcharge.