Emma Quinn, 44, of Fairfields Road, Basingstoke, has been sentenced to 10 months in prison after pleading guilty to nine counts of theft from four Basingstoke shops. The sentence, handed down at Basingstoke Magistrates Court on 1 July 2026, included the activation of a previously suspended sentence order, according to Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary.
Quinn stole craft model kits, coffee, chocolate, and body sprays worth more than £950 in total across nine separate occasions between 7 March and 9 June this year. The targeted shops were Tesco Express at Buckingham Parade, Hobbycraft on Winchester Road, Boots, and the Co-op. Basingstoke Inspector Jim Gallimore said the actions had a significant impact on local businesses, staff, and the wider community, adding that when items are stolen, businesses must recover lost costs, which typically results in higher prices for all shoppers.
Inspector Gallimore stressed that shoplifting will not be tolerated in the town, and officers take every report seriously. The investigation formed part of an ongoing push by Hampshire Constabulary against retail crime, with multiple shoplifting charges brought before the courts in Basingstoke this year.
Quinn has prior convictions for similar offences. In November 2024, she was fined £80 for breaching a Community Protection Notice that barred her from Festival Place shopping centre.
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