Britain's biggest handbag thief: Mother-of-two stole 900 handbags worth up to £500,000 in three-year crime spree
- Jayne Rand was convicted of hundreds of thefts at Newport Crown Court
- She would walk into stores with no bag, and walk out with one on her arm
- Rand, 48, stole bags which could have sold for a total of £500,000
- She got away with it for three years before being caught in South Wales
- Her husband and two daughters had no idea she was a career criminal
- The judge told her that she faces jail when sentenced next month
By KIERAN CORCORAN PUBLISHED: 13:48 GMT, 30 September 2013 | UPDATED: 16:19 GMT, 30 September 2013
Thief: Jayne Rand, 48, was convicted today of stealing hundreds of handbags
A mother-of-two has been told she is facing jail after she stole more than 900 handbags in a crime spree that lasted three years. Jayne Rand, 48, took up to £500,000 of bags and purses from shops where she would walk in without a handbag then brazenly walk out after removing their security tags.Newport Crown Court heard that she took 905 bags and four purses from top designers such as Prada, Gucci and Louis Vuitton.She then sold them on, frequently getting more than £1,000 for each one.All the while her husband, planning consultant Phillip Rand, and grown-up daughters Gemma and Amber had no idea of her one-woman crime wave.
Police branded Rand Britain's biggest bag thief after she was caught red-handed by security guards at a shopping centre in Cwmbran, South Wales last December. They said she would routinely target House of Fraser stores. Officers were later able to trace Rand's criminal ventures around the country by analysing CCTV from other stores she'd visited. Police found two other handbags in her car that she is believed to have stolen that day and discovered 'overwhelming evidence' of the other thefts. The jury heard that the stock taken in the nationwide campaign of thefts would have cost stores more than £130,000.
But because the mark-up on designer bags is so large the shops themselves would have taken closer to £500,000 had they sold them all. Prosecutor David Wooler said: 'A financial investigation had been looking into the case for some time.'It is estimated that the value of all the theft would be in excess of £130,000 but that does not take into account the shop’s mark-up.' By selling the bags on at a drastically reduced price, Rang was able to make more than £80,000 between 2009 and 2012, and admitted converting criminal assets from 838 of the handbags.
'Nationwide campaign': The 905 handbags Rand stole included those by Prada (right), Gucci (centre) and Louis Vuitton (left)
Neighbours in her home village of Purton, near Swindon, reacted with shock at the secret life of an otherwise 'quiet and respectable' housewife. One said: 'To say everyone is surprised is an understatement - we had no idea. 'They are a lovely family, she is a good wife and mother. There's never been any suggestion of anything like this going on.
'Mrs Rand is quiet and respectable - she is not the sort of person you see with a new handbag every week. There's nothing flashy about her but she likes her holidays.' Judge Rhys Rowlands told the court: 'The defendant was only caught because people in Cwmbran happen to be quite diligent.'She was caught red-handed with a handbag and in her car were two handbags stolen earlier that day. The evidence is overwhelming.
'This lady has pleaded guilty to a campaign of shoplifting. For all intents and purposes she has carried out a business, and we are talking about tens of thousands of pounds. 'It will be a custodial sentence of some length.' Andrew Taylor, defending, said Rand was a woman of previous good character. Rand was released on conditional bail and is expected to be sentenced in October.
Thief: Jayne Rand, 48, was convicted today of stealing hundreds of handbags
A mother-of-two has been told she is facing jail after she stole more than 900 handbags in a crime spree that lasted three years. Jayne Rand, 48, took up to £500,000 of bags and purses from shops where she would walk in without a handbag then brazenly walk out after removing their security tags.Newport Crown Court heard that she took 905 bags and four purses from top designers such as Prada, Gucci and Louis Vuitton.She then sold them on, frequently getting more than £1,000 for each one.All the while her husband, planning consultant Phillip Rand, and grown-up daughters Gemma and Amber had no idea of her one-woman crime wave.
Police branded Rand Britain's biggest bag thief after she was caught red-handed by security guards at a shopping centre in Cwmbran, South Wales last December. They said she would routinely target House of Fraser stores. Officers were later able to trace Rand's criminal ventures around the country by analysing CCTV from other stores she'd visited. Police found two other handbags in her car that she is believed to have stolen that day and discovered 'overwhelming evidence' of the other thefts. The jury heard that the stock taken in the nationwide campaign of thefts would have cost stores more than £130,000.
But because the mark-up on designer bags is so large the shops themselves would have taken closer to £500,000 had they sold them all. Prosecutor David Wooler said: 'A financial investigation had been looking into the case for some time.'It is estimated that the value of all the theft would be in excess of £130,000 but that does not take into account the shop’s mark-up.' By selling the bags on at a drastically reduced price, Rang was able to make more than £80,000 between 2009 and 2012, and admitted converting criminal assets from 838 of the handbags.
'Nationwide campaign': The 905 handbags Rand stole included those by Prada (right), Gucci (centre) and Louis Vuitton (left)
Neighbours in her home village of Purton, near Swindon, reacted with shock at the secret life of an otherwise 'quiet and respectable' housewife. One said: 'To say everyone is surprised is an understatement - we had no idea. 'They are a lovely family, she is a good wife and mother. There's never been any suggestion of anything like this going on.
'Mrs Rand is quiet and respectable - she is not the sort of person you see with a new handbag every week. There's nothing flashy about her but she likes her holidays.' Judge Rhys Rowlands told the court: 'The defendant was only caught because people in Cwmbran happen to be quite diligent.'She was caught red-handed with a handbag and in her car were two handbags stolen earlier that day. The evidence is overwhelming.
'This lady has pleaded guilty to a campaign of shoplifting. For all intents and purposes she has carried out a business, and we are talking about tens of thousands of pounds. 'It will be a custodial sentence of some length.' Andrew Taylor, defending, said Rand was a woman of previous good character. Rand was released on conditional bail and is expected to be sentenced in October.
