Repeat offender fined after dine-and-dash and Morrisons shoplifting spree

A dine-and-dasher bolted from a well-known Italian restaurant, having clocked-up a £91 tab after gorging on food and drinks. Tracy Dimmick, who has a prior conviction for smuggling narcotics into HMP Northumberland for her nephew, scarpered from Sambucas, in Cramlington, without paying the bill. Nevertheless, the 49 year old was readily identified from CCTV footage, arrested and hauled before the courts in March. She admitted making off without payment and was fined and ordered to pay compensation. This week, it emerged that, just before that offence, Dimmick had also nicked a total of £46-worth of items from Morrisons , in Blyth, after hitting the store twice in six weeks. Keith Laidlaw, prosecuting at South East Northumberland Magistrates' Court, said the offences happened in August and September last year. Mr Laidlaw continued: "The witness works at Morrisons in Blyth and, on August 4 at 12.20pm and September 26 at 1.30pm, he identified the defendant in the shop because she's a regular offender. "She was in the store on both occasions and stole £16-worth of razor blades on one occasion and £30-worth of laundry products on another." Steve Chambers, defending, said Dimmick was homeless at the time and sold the goods for money. Mr Chambers went on to say: "She was sentenced in March for going into Sambucas, in Cramlington, and making-off without paying. She was given a financial penalty and ordered to pay compensation. Had this been dealt with at the same time, it might not have made much difference to sentence." Dimmick was handed a £40 fine by magistrates and instructed to pay £46 in compensation, reports Chronicle Live .