A serial shoplifter who doused a Sports Direct employee with vodka and threatened to set her on fire has been jailed.
Kerri-Anne Shaw flew into a rage after being turfed out of the sportswear giant’s Perth branch.
She spat at one employee three times before storming out of the store, the city’s sheriff court heard.
And she made a beeline for his colleague when she returned brandishing a vodka bottle.
Shaw, 26, appeared in the dock and admitted two charges of assault at the St Catherine’s Retail Park outlet on July 1 2023.
She further admitted seven charges of shoplifting.
‘A haze of drink and drugs’
Sheriff William Wood told her: “You are looking a lot better than you did on previous court appearances, and that is probably because you are now relatively clean.
“You are only 26.
“This should be the prime time of your life.
“Before you know it, it will all have passed in a haze of drink and drugs.”
The sheriff said: “It is up to you how things are going to pan out.
“But I have to make sure the public is protected, so you are going to prison.”
Shaw, of Brora Court, Perth, was jailed for 18 months.
Spit attack and fire threat at Perth Sports Direct
Fiscal depute Duncan MacKenzie said shop workers Kerrie Hawkes and Neil Hutchison were working at Sports Direct when Shaw walked in at about 4pm.
“Ms Hawkes asked the accused if she needed anything,” the prosecutor told the court.
“This irritated the accused who asked why Ms Hawkes was being rude to her.
“She began shouting and asked Ms Hawkes if she was scared.”
Mr Hutchison intervened and Shaw was ushered towards the exit, Mr MacKenzie said.
“She spat towards Mr Hutchison three times.
“Each time, she missed him.”
The fiscal depute said: “The accused left, but returned a short time later brandishing a bottle of vodka.
“She threw the contents of the bottle over Ms Hawkes.
“Whilst Mr Hutchison was on the phone to police, the accused threatened to set fire to Ms Hawkes.”
Shaw fled when she realised police had been contacted.
Booze thief
The court heard Shaw kicked a shop assistant at Asda on Dunkeld Road, while escaping with bottles of Southern Comfort and Gentleman Jack in a separate incident on August 20 2019.
She further admitted stealing hundreds of pounds worth of alcohol from Asda and Tesco, Edinburgh Road, across five occasions between January and May 2021.
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