If you find £20 on the floor, then it's finders keepers, right?
Wrong. As one woman found out.
Nicole Bailey, 23, who has no previous conviction, was caught on CCTV, tracked down by police and brought before the courts on a theft charge.
The money belonged to a man who withdrew the cash at One Stop in Burton, East Staffordshire.
After he dropped they money he told staff at the store, but the money was nowhere to be seen.
Nicole initially denied she had taken it but after being presented with the footage she admitted what she had done.
Advert
Prosecutor Ruth Bentley said: "Staff checked the CCTV which showed a female pick up the £20 note from a display in the store. The manager recognised the woman, who was a regular customer."
She's was handed a conditional discharge and ordered to pay £175 in costs and charges by judge.
The scene of the crime. Credit: Google Street View.
Advert
Simon Dykes, mitigating, said a police caution would have been a fairer punishment.
He said: "She didn't know who the money belonged to. People don't realise picking up something you have found amounts to a theft. She has been quite naïve in doing so."
The definition of theft is: "The dishonest appropriation of property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it."
We've not got the full story here, but as a far as I'm concerned, if you see somebody drop the money you should let them know. But if there's no obvious owner then it's yours.
Featured Image Credit: