A prolific shoplifter who made a career out of defrauding high street stores to the tune of £500,000 has been sentenced to a decade in prison.
Narinder Kaur, 54, known by her alias Nina Tiara, travelled across the country executing a well-planned scheme to swindle top retailers out of money by obtaining refunds for items she had stolen.
Her crime spree, which spanned from July 2015 to February 2019, targeted stores like Boots, Debenhams, John Lewis, Monsoon, House of Fraser, and TK Maxx over a thousand times.
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Kaur, who has a criminal record dating back to her teenage years, was sentenced in her absence after refusing to leave her cell.
The judge, remarking on her unabashed criminal behavior, described her actions as a “tsunami of dishonesty on an Olympian scale.”
CCTV footage captured Kaur entering stores, taking items off shelves, and presenting them at the tills as if they were previously purchased, to secure refunds.
This pattern of deceit was confirmed through meticulous examination of her bank and credit card accounts.
Gareth Weetman, the prosecutor, detailed how Kaur turned her fraudulent activities into a lucrative full-time endeavor.
He highlighted the sophisticated nature of her crimes, which involved extensive planning and manipulation of cashiers and store managers with fabricated stories about sick relatives.
Her largest single fraud was against Boots, where she managed to get £60,787.09 in refunds while only spending £5,172.73.
Kaur’s fraudulent activities extended to multiple cities, including Cheltenham, Malvern, Solihull, Droitwich, Kidderminster, Dudley, and Smethwick.
She obtained substantial refunds from Debenhams (£42,853.65) and John Lewis (£33,131.61), having spent minimal amounts.
Other affected stores included Monsoon, House of Fraser, Homesense, TK Maxx, and Homebase, with Kaur consistently claiming more in refunds than she spent.
In addition to defrauding retailers, Kaur attempted to defraud Wiltshire Council of £7,400 using stolen credit cards and targeted several law firms.
She also provided false documents in court to avoid speeding convictions and to relax bail conditions. During police searches of her home, £150,000 in cash and numerous stolen goods were discovered.
John Cooper KC, defending Kaur, pointed out the difficulties she faced in prison, including bullying and racial abuse, which affected her mental health.
Despite these claims, Judge Ian Lawrie KC imposed a 10-year sentence, underscoring the vast scale and persistent nature of her offenses.
Judge Lawrie condemned Kaur’s extensive and unrestrained dishonesty, noting the geographic spread of her crimes from Warrington to Plymouth and London Colney to Swansea.
He emphasized that the sheer scale of her fraudulent activities left the court with no choice but to impose a significant prison term.
