Lucy Roberts, a 39-year-old former jewellery store manager in the UK, was sentenced to 28 months in prison for theft after it was discovered she had been stealing items from her workplace. Over the course of a year, Roberts routinely took jewellery home, asserting to her colleagues that she was merely sorting stock for the workshop. This deceit went unnoticed until her departure from the job.
After quitting, Roberts took a holiday and began sharing selfies with her former coworkers, flaunting the very jewellery she had stolen, including diamonds and gold worth more than $260,000. Her nonchalant attitude, described by Detective Sergeant Krista Wilkinson as “dripping in diamonds,” led to the realisation of her wrongdoing among her peers.
When authorities executed a search warrant on her home, they uncovered a trove of stolen items, hidden in boxes and cupboards. The investigation revealed that Roberts had pilfered thousands of pounds of jewellery and cash. Initially, she denied the allegations, claiming she had borrowed the jewellery from a coworker and that items were planted in her belongings. However, she later pleaded guilty to theft by an employee.
Roberts was apprehended at London’s Heathrow Airport, where she was found wearing multiple pieces of stolen jewellery with additional items stashed in her suitcase. Video footage captured the moment she attempted to dispose of jewellery while being escorted by authorities.
The jewellery store expressed relief at the resolution of a matter that had lingered for several years. While details about Roberts’ legal representation remain unclear, her actions have led to a notable conviction in the realm of employee theft.