- Jayne Rand, 48, targeted department stores across the country
- Started three-year spree when property business ran into trouble
- Husband, Philip, and children knew nothing of the crimes
- Defence told the court Rand became 'almost addicted' to handbag theft
- Court hears Rand made £88,000 from selling handbags on eBay
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Jayne Rand, 48, was sentenced to 18 months in prison after stealing 905 handbags in three years
A mother-of-two has been jailed for 18 months after she stole 905 handbags over a three-year period.
Jayne Rand, 48, went into department stores across the UK leaving with luxury handbags on her shoulder, a court heard.
Her lawyer admitted she had become 'almost addicted to stealing high-value bags' as she was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Newport Crown Court heard that Rand, of Purton near Swindon, Wiltshire, had committed the crimes to 'fund her lifestyle'.
She targeted department stores including Debenhams, House of Fraser and John Lewis before selling the bags on eBay.
David Wooler, prosecuting, said: 'Her usual method of theft was to go into the store without a bag, pick up one from the display, walk around with it on her shoulder for a while, then simply walk out of the store.
'Sometimes she would have to remove the security tag, but usually she wouldn’t have to.'
Police went on to her eBay account and 'found a significant number of designer handbags', which were priced 'competitively', he said.
Mr Wooler added: 'Her house was full of sealable grey delivery bags and Post Office receipts.
'She set up a legitimate business and no one, not even her husband, knew what she was doing.
'Rand told police she needed money to fund her lifestyle.'
Newport Crown Court heard Rand made £88,000 from eBay customers. But Mr Wooler said the total value of the bags she took could be 'in excess of £130,000'.
She sold handbags designed by Radley, Ted Baker, Gucci and Bailey and Quinn.
Her crime wave was brought to an end when two security guards caught her in the House of Fraser outlet in Cwmbran, South Wales.
Rand admitted theft and told police she had stolen more than 900 handbags between 2009 and 2012.
They said she would routinely target House of Fraser stores. Officers were later able to trace Rand's criminal ventures around the country by analysing CCTV from other stores she'd visited.
Rand, of Purton, near Swindon, Wiltshire, also admitted stealing four purses.
Rand targeted department stores across the UK walking out with the bags on her shoulder
Brands including Radley, Ted Baker, Gucci and Bailey and Quinn were taken by Rand between 2009 and 2012
The court heard Rand started stealing after the property business she ran with her husband got into financial difficulty.
Her planning consultant husband, Philip, and her grown-up daughters, Gemma and Amber, did not know she was shoplifting the bags.
Andrew Taylor, defending, said: 'She became almost immune to the feeling of wrongdoing.
'She was almost addicted to stealing high-value bags in an attempt to keep the ship afloat.
'She never expected to find herself in such dire circumstances and out of desperation took this course of action.'
Rand with her husband Philip who, along with his daughters, knew nothing of the crimes
The court heard Rand will sell off some of her properties to recover the money.
Judge Rhys Rowlands said: 'You made a business of stealing over a protracted period of time and you must face the consequences.
'This was a remarkably serious raft of thefts which only ended when you were caught stealing a valuable handbag from a store in Cwmbran.
'How you got away with it for so long without being caught was deeply remarkable.'
He said she showed 'professionalism' in her crimes and suggested that is why it took three years for her to be caught.
'You travelled the country with the sole purpose of theft and you made a successful albeit dishonest business of selling stolen handbags,' he said.
'The values are quite outside of what the court comes across even from professional shoplifting gangs.
'It’s sad and unusual to see a woman of 48 with previous good character up before the court for such a protracted and serious dishonesty.
'Many, many businesses get into difficulty but most behave honestly and do not turn to this sort of crime.'
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