Only in Wales!
Sophie Hunter-Brown has been accused of shoplifting
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A primary school teacher is facing being struck off after being accused of being a serial shoplifter.
Sophie Hunter-Brown, 30, was said to be so notorious for stealing that her photograph was put on the walls of a staff room at her local Asda.
A misconduct hearing heard Hunter-Brown was caught by security guards stealing from an Asda store in Aberdare, after becoming notorious among staff for her suspected shoplifting exploits.
Melinka Berridge, the presenting officer at the disciplinary hearing, said the teacher would use self service tills at the supermarket to steal groceries.
Ms Hunter-Brown was eventually confronted by staff after being recognised from a CCTV image printed on to the store's staff room wall after being linked to three previous non-payments.
Police were called and Hunter-Brown admitted to an officer she had tried to steal her groceries because she was experiencing "financial problems" - and said she "couldn't afford to feed herself."
She was later given a conditional caution after admitting theft, and ordered to pay Asda £59 in compensation.
But at her hearing in Cardiff on Tuesday, she denied knowing she hadn't been paying for her shopping between April and July 2014.
She said: "It was a mistake not to check that the payments had gone through. It was the result of personal stress in my life.
"Had I been taken to a police station instead of being interviewed in the back of Asda and given time to collect my thoughts I would've answered differently."
Hunter-Brown said she specialised in ICT lessons at her school, Cefn Primary School at Glyncoch, Pontypridd.
Committee member Kelly Murphy asked: "How is it you specialise in ICT but don't know how to use a self service till in Asda?"
Hunter-Brown said: "I do know how to use one, it was just a mistake."
She was also questioned about why she didn't say she had made a mistake - instead of saying she had only stolen because she couldn't feed herself.
She said: "I didn't feel I could handle a whole court hearing, and I didn't want to take time off work. So I just accepted it."
The hearing also heard she had been fined back in 2010 after being caught stealing from a Dunelm store in Cardiff.
The Education Workforce committee will decide whether her actions amount to unacceptable professions conduct, and if so, if she will be removed from the teaching register.
Read more: http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/Primary-school-teacher-faces-struck-following/story-28149039-detail/story.html#ixzz3r6us8Iyg
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