Shoplifting celebrities over the years

British chef, Antony Worrall Thompson was arrested for allegedly shoplifting at a Tesco store on Friday 6 January 2012.  He is said to have been cautioned for pilfering goods, including cheese and wine, via the self-service checkout area.  The alleged crimes were caught on camera by store chiefs in the Henley On Thames outlet, Oxfordshire.

This recent news didn’t shock us here at Simply Nectar and What On Earth.  It’s not that we expected Worrall Thompson to steal food – far from it in fact – we just weren’t surprised that yet another celebrity was caught taking what wasn’t rightfully theirs…and ultimately not punished properly as a result.  Stealing is against the law – that is drummed into us at an early age but why on earth do some of these celebrities get away with it?  Would Joe Public get away with such crimes we ask?

Looking back over the years, there has been a long line of celebrity thefts; some shocking, some not so.  We therefore thought we’d give you a run down of our top ten favourite light-fingered stars.

Lindsay Lohan’s endless bad behaviour has resulted in large media coverage and even saw the well known actress spend time behind bars.  Over the years Lindsay’s crimes have seen her accused of stealing a $2,500 necklace and for‘borrowing’ Masha Markova’s $11,000 fur coat.

Other largely reported and infamous shoplifting incidences were those of Winona Ryder.  In 2002, Ryder was arrested for stealing £3,000 worth of clothing from a Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills.  Six years later she was allegedly spotted leaving a Hollywood store with make up on her that she hadn’t paid for.

Those are not the only two celebrities to have been caught with their fingers in the till, as it were.  Other big names include:

Peaches Geldof: In October 2011, Bob Geldof’s daughter, Peaches, was allegedly caught helping herself to almost £70 worth of make up from a Boots store in London.  According to reports, Peaches was followed by a plain-clothes Boots store detective as she shamelessly loaded her pockets and shopping bags with what was apparently nearly £70 worth of mascara, foundation and eyeliner.  Peaches had been involved with shoplifting in the past but once again she was let go without charge.

David de Gea: In 2011, the Spanish, Manchester United player allegedly picked up an Original Glazed Krispy Kreme doughnut and ate it in the magazine aisle of a Tesco store before walking towards the exit without paying, or buying anything else.

Gabriela Irimia: In January 2011, Cheeky Girl, Gabriela, was detained after stealing groceries said to be worth about £40 from a Sainsbury's store in Wilmslow, Cheshire.

Adam Rickett: In 2007, the model/actor left a New Zealand supermarket with a block of cheese, a bottle of HP Sauce and a jar of coffee.  He was caught for his actions and although he admitted to the theft he said it was just an "honest mistake".

Glen Johnson: The England football star was reportedly fined by police for trying to steal a toilet seat and bath taps from B&Q in 2007.

Britney Spears: The popular singer was accused of pinching a wig just hours after stripping down to try on a pair of briefs in an adult store in Los Angeles in 2007.  It was alleged that after an altercation with staff, Spears took a wig off a mannequin and left without paying for it.  She has also been involved in several other shoplifting incidences in the years after this one.

Jennifer Capriati: The three-time tennis Grand Slam champion was caught leaving a Florida shopping mall with a cheap silver ring in 1993.

Well there you have it – ten top celebrities that have been caught shoplifting over the years.  And these are just some of them.  Who knows how many haven’t been caught too – not that we’re making accusations of course!

Word of advice to celebrities…pay for the items next time.  If us law abiding non famous citizens can do it, I’m sure you can too.

Simply shoplifters.

Simply Nectar