A woman has been sentenced to eight months in prison after stealing designer clothes and jewellery worth £76,000 from her fellow train passenger’s luggage.
Hajar Al Fahad started a conversation with the woman and after discovering that she was rich, Al Fahad grabbed her suitcase in what she describes as a “moment of madness” as the train pulled into Cardiff Central.
Only after she reached her destination in Swansea did Ms Al Shatti notice that her luggage containing designer pieces such as a Chanel handbag, watches, Cartier necklaces, earrings, bracelets and gold rings had been stolen.
Police managed to trace Al Fahad who was living in Blackmoor Place, Llanrumney, through her purchase of a Paddington train ticket, but when confronted, she insisted that the suitcase was her own and later argued that the luxury goods inside were fake.
A search of Al Fahad’s mobile revealed web searches of the items in her suitcase and photos of herself wearing the stolen items.
Officers visited the address of the defendant on 12 November 2018 where they recovered the bulk of items from the suitcase, which amounted to a total value of £76,559.
Al Fahad eventually pleaded guilty to theft.
Defence barrister Tim Petrides said his client’s two young children would suffer if she were sentenced to prison immediately.
Al Fahad was sentenced to eight months in prison suspended for 12 months and was ordered to do 20 days of rehabilitation and 150 hours of unpaid work.