Three women turned a day trip to the UK’s biggest designer outlet into an alleged shoplifting spree that left prosecutors calling the haul “eye-watering”—and now they’re facing possible jail time.
Dollaresa Pauce, 27, Estera Stepane, 30, and Raksana Kleina, 24, are accused of swiping nearly £5,500 worth of sunglasses, clothing, handbags, and shoes from stores at Cheshire Oaks in Ellesmere Port, according to court documents.
The trio reportedly drove 75 miles from their shared hometown to hit up brands like Sunglasses Hut, Hugo Boss, Levi’s, Nike, Dr Martens, Calvin Klein, and Coach on June 6.
Security staff at the 145-store complex spotted them trying to bolt with the goods into a waiting BMW 3-series and called police, prosecutors said.
As they ran from officers, the women allegedly dropped some of the stolen items, but cops tracked them down nearby.
A search of the getaway car—parked at a nearby Sainsbury’s—reportedly turned up even more stolen merchandise.
The total value of the stolen goods came to £5,457, including £1,936 worth of sunglasses from Sunglasses Hut and £1,395 in clothing from Hugo Boss.
While most items were recovered, a Hugo Boss jacket and a pair of Levi’s jeans were damaged when security tags were ripped off, making them unsellable, according to the prosecution.
Kleina, who was behind the wheel, allegedly had no driver’s license and no insurance for the 155-mph automatic BMW.
At Chester Magistrates’ Court, Pauce pleaded guilty to nine theft charges involving goods worth £2,620. Her lawyer said she came to the UK from Latvia at age 10 and is a single mother of two.
Stepane admitted eight theft charges totaling £1,999. She missed the hearing because she was in Scotland preparing to fly to Latvia for her grandmother’s funeral, her attorney explained.
Kleina pleaded guilty to five theft charges worth £838, plus driving without a license or insurance.
All three were bailed but face up to 26 weeks in prison under sentencing guidelines. They’ve also been banned from entering Cheshire until a further hearing next month.
Prosecutor Derryn Gibney noted “some degree of planning and group activity” in the spree, adding that the value of items like four pairs of sunglasses at £1,300 was “staggering.”
What happens next when these three women return to court in Sheffield?
