Facial recognition tech tracks Derry shoplifter who stole £800 goods from Sports Direct in Ballymena

A shoplifter from Derry who stole more than £800 worth of items from Sports Direct in Ballymena was eventually tracked down after facial recognition technology picked her up re-entering the store, a court has been told.

Kathryn Mary Kelly (44), of Fountain Hill in Derry, admitted charges of theft and going equipped for theft with a 'de-tagger'.

Ballymena Magistrates' Court heard on Thursday last that, on June 29 this year, the defendant was in Sports Direct in the Tower Centre shopping complex and took six items of clothing worth £815. CCTV showed the defendant.

A number of tags had been removed and "could only have been removed using a specialist de-tagger machine", the court was told.

A prosecutor told the court that, on June 30, this year the defendant was "flagged in the store using the facial recognition camera". It sent a phone notification to a staff member who recognised Kelly from CCTV. He challenged her but she left the store. Security followed and saw her getting into a vehicle. On July 20, police arrested her at her home.

The defendant told police she admitted going to the shop with a "specialist magnet" to steal clothing to "pay off a drug debt".The court heard the goods were not recovered.

A defence lawyer said it was accepted the defendant had an "appalling" criminal record. Judge Nigel Broderick said the defendant had 87 previous convictions including 48 for theft and she was in breach of ten suspended sentences.

The judge said the defendant appeared to have been stealing to fund her addiction.

The judge jailed her for ten months.

The defendant was given £500 bail pending appeal of the sentence.