Pregnant mother has no idea why she stole bouncy castle and bananas

A heavily pregnant woman who stole a bouncy castle and a bunch of bananas from an Asda supermarket has no idea why she did it, a court heard. Mother-of-three Hannah Dodkins was six months pregnant when she walked out with the goods from the store in South Bank, Middlesbrough.

After she was caught by police the £69 bouncy castle was returned to Asda intact, but the bananas were never recovered, Teesside Magistrates’ Court heard. And magistrates ordered her to pay £1 in compensation to Asda for the bananas. Kevin Ross prosecuting told the court that Dodkins went into the store on August 22 last year pushing a small trolley.



She took the bouncy castle and the bunch of bananas and left the shop without paying, he said. Dodkins, 30, was caught on CCTV leaving the shop and going to her car, which was then traced by police to her home address in Redcar. “She handed the bouncy castle to the officers, still in its original case, but the bananas were not recovered,” said Mr Ross. Brett Wildridge, defending, said Dodkins was the mother of three young children, aged four, three and a newborn baby.

“In terms of her behaviour when she entered the store she describes how she had payments cards on her,” he said. The defendant entered the store fully prepared to pay for the bouncy castle and “doesn’t know why she left without doing so,” he said. He added: “She wants to have the matter resolved and pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.” Dodkins, who admitted theft from a shop, was given a conditional discharge for six months and ordered to pay £45 costs, £1 compensation and a £15 surcharge.