TWO prolific shoplifters who replaced their own trainers with brand-new ones at Nike’s Cheshire Oaks store have been given conditional discharges.

Rute Dacosta, 20 and of Strathcona Road in Liverpool and Rebecca Iosif, 24 and of Wendell Street – also in Liverpool – pleaded guilty to one count of theft from a shop.

Crown prosecutor Valeriya Tonkinson told the court that on August 20 this year, the pair entered the store in the outlet village and began to browse.

They then picked out trainers for themselves, tried them on but then put their old ones back into boxes and left the store without attempting to pay the £115.92 for both pairs.

Both women, who had teenage children with them, entered the Burberry store where they were caught on CCTV stuff tops worth hundreds of pounds under their hoodies.

Dacosta was also accused of trying to steal a white dress worth more than £400 but when she was followed by a store manager, she put it back where it was found with tags removed.

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Both defendants then ran off but the tops and the trainers were eventually recovered though lacked any resale value.

Chairman of the bench Ian Williams heard that both women had multiple shoplifting convictions and as of November 2024, were on community orders.

The court heard from probation that both women had responded well to their work with Dacosta hitting all of her targets so far and Iosif progressing well.

Mr Williams told the defendants – speaking through an interpreter – that this was why he was issuing conditional discharges so they could carry on their work.

He said: “Had these matters come together at the same time, it’s unlikely that the court would have made a different one.

“For that reason alone, we will deal with this matter by the way of a conditional discharge for 12 months.

“That means if both of you remain out of trouble, then you will hear no more about it, but if you do, then these charges can be brought back with a different outcome.

“You’re both very young with quite the history of theft but you’ve said you’ve seen the error of your ways working with prosecution and we hope you continue as you are.”

Both women were ordered to pay £115.98 in compensation to Nike for the trainers and were asked to pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £26.