Violent woman, 35, dubbed one of country’s worst shoplifters is finally jailed after six suspended sentences failed to stop her offending

One of the country’s worst shoplifters has finally been jailed after six suspended sentences failed to stop her.

Violent Paula McKenna, 35, targeted some businesses up to three times a day and told staff who tried to stop her ‘don’t you dare’.

She was finally jailed after magistrates in Northampton lost patience with her persistent offending.

She was handed a 50-week sentence and ordered to pay £3,316.73 compensation after admitting 19 new offences that began just a week after her last court appearance in August last year when she was handed her sixth suspended term.

In one incident at Greggs in Corby in March she grabbed a female store worker by the throat and pushed her into a door when she tried to stop her from taking goods without paying.

She also targeted a Shell garage eight times in the space of one month and Marks and Spencer in the town, taking meat, salmon, chocolate, wine and beer, and air fresheners. She also took £96 worth of stock from upmarket grocers, Budgens in Uppingham and wine from Morrison’s.

McKenna, of Corby, was also dealt with for three shop thefts committed in 2023 which she had denied, including the theft of £2,050-worth of coats and jackets from Cotswold Outdoors at Rushden Lakes on November 11, 2023.

Her sentence took into account the fact many of the offences had been committed while she was under the operational period of a previously imposed suspended sentence.

This week, shop keepers welcomed the fact she was finally behind bars.

A store worker at M&S said: ‘Everyone knew her. She wasn’t going to any till. She just took what she wanted and walked out.’

A shop worker at the Shell Garage said: ‘We had to keep phoning the police. She would never buy anything. She would just walk in, take what she wanted and walk out.

‘It was so obvious what she was doing but if you tried to intervene she would threaten you.

‘One time she looked at me and said, “Don’t you dare try to stop me”.’

In 2021 she had been let off with a suspended sentence after admitting 32 counts of theft totalling £2,300 during a 20-month shoplifting spree.

She stole candles, kitchen roll, alcohol, meat, fish, Lego, clothes, a toothbrush, chocolate, burgers, steak, prosecco, pizza and ready meals.

Magistrates gave her a 20-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months on the condition that she undertakes drug dependency treatment.

She was spared custody after defence barrister Claire Fitzpatrick told the court: ‘This must all be considered in the context of Miss McKenna’s addiction to class A drugs which coincided with her falling into the kind of crime, to fund the habit.’

Speaking after sentencing, Sergeant Steve Briggs of Corby Neighbourhood Policing Team said: ‘Her offending has often been brazen and in at least one instance, progressed to the use of violence against a store worker, so I’m very pleased to see her receive a substantial custodial sentence.’