British social media influencer found guilty of ‘opportunistic’ theft of Jellycat toys

A British influencer convicted of stealing a set of popular Jellycat plush toys from a farm shop in Cheshire later told police she owed tax at the time of the theft, a court has heard. Imogen Carroll, of Biddulph, Staffordshire, admitted taking six stuffed animals worth £160 from the Lambing Shed in Knutsford. Proceedings at Crewe Magistrates’ Court were told the items were never recovered, the Daily Mail reported. CCTV footage shown in court showed Carroll walking around the store several times before putting the toy in the bag. Prosecutor Gabriel Harrison said she then picked up a packet of chips and dip and paid for it at the till, allegedly to distract from the items she had already taken. Carroll was subsequently arrested by police. She initially denied her guilt but changed her plea on the first day of the trial after receiving CCTV evidence. Under questioning, she said she owed money to HMRC, the UK government agency responsible for collecting taxes, and called the theft “opportunistic” and said she had succumbed to “temptation.” The court heard she was on bail at the time of the incident and had six previous convictions for 11 offences, six of which were theft or attempted theft. In mitigation, her attorney, Lee Yates, said she had been facing financial difficulties related to her previous business, which left her with ongoing tax debt. “The debt owed to HMRC will not go away at all,” he told the court, adding that she accepted what she did was wrong and had not offended since 2019. Sentencing her, bench chairman Alan Jones said: “You committed this offense while on police bail and you do have some previous convictions.” As a result of his guilty plea, Carroll was ordered to pay a fine of £162 (reduced from £180), as well as costs of £265, a victim surcharge and compensation of £160. The stolen items were from Jellycat, a London-based brand founded in 1999 that has surged in popularity in recent years. The company currently sells its products in 77 countries, with prices ranging from around £15 for small toys to £200 for larger toys. Some limited edition items are understood to be selling for more than £1,000 online, making them increasingly targets for theft