to think convicting this woman of theft is really harsh?

[IsabelleSE19]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-39119990

It seems like a real waste of police/court time to bring this case – surely a warning would have sufficed?

I've lost £20 before but would never think of going to the police station to ask if it's been handed in. Equally I've found £20 on a path and kept it (I was so broke that it was like a gift from heaven!). I've also left £40 in a cashpoint which was then taken, but I think that's different as the person potentially taking it could hand it in to the bank and they could check who was using the cashpoint before.

I've also left £40 in a cashpoint which was then taken, but I think that's different as the person potentially taking it could hand it in to the bank and they could check who was using the cashpoint before.

If that was Ipswich in 1990, I took it into the bank and they did not have a clue as to WTF to do with it - no idea what happened to it

My dad lost his wallet recently in Lichfield. Someone described by the policeman who she has handed it in to as a young mum returned it. This is how you should act. I hope the lady who returned my dad's wallet knows how grateful I am and he is.

Yeah I have found money before - in the street, and in the woods, (tenners and fivers,) and on one occasion, I found a bunch of rolled up tenners (200 quid in all) in a rough and nasty public loo. Figured it probably belonged to a drug dealer. I kept all of the above. So shoot me.

I have also found purses and taken them back to their owner; driven 7-10 miles out of my way to do it too. And just posted it through the letterbox as I don't want fuss/recognition/a reward. Also saw a woman drop 2 twenty pound notes the other week outside Sainsbury's. I picked them up and gave them to her. Also gave a (very expensive) iphone I found to a panicking and sobbing teen the other week when she left it on a bench in a park. The relief in her face was a joy to behold.

But if there is no sign of anyone if I find a tenner or a twenty, then I will keep it, probably.

Wasting all the police resources on that woman was pathetic though.

I kept a pound coin I found in a swimming locker once

She didn't pick up money in the street, she picked it up inside a shop where it could easily have been reunited with its owner, as he has immediately gone to the tills and told them it was lost in the shop. And then she lied about picking it up.
So yes, she did steal it. Which is not at all the same thing as finding random money which has no discernable owner.

I think the fact that it happened in a shop and that there was cc tv footage that helped convict her suggests that she saw who dropped it and knew who it belonged to

NC for this as friends and family would be able to identify me.

I rang the police 6 weeks ago to report my phone stolen, I believed at a pelican crossing. To my surprise they took it really seriously, asked for my description, the time it happened and said they'd check CCTV.

They rang back a couple of weeks later to say they'd checked the CCTV and my phone had fallen out of my bag or pocket. I started to apologise for wasting their time but the WPC stopped me and said that a young man standing behind me had noticed, picked up my phone, looked around to see if I or anyone else noticed, then quickly walked off in the other direction. She said it was considered opportunistic theft and if they can identify him by putting his picture in the local paper, then they will prosecute.

I know a phone has more value than £20 (usually), but the police said to me that this man could have tapped me on the shoulder, he could have asked the people waiting to cross "Does this belong to anyone?" Or failing all that, he could have handed it in at the police station up the road. Instead he switched it off and walked away. He made a choice to take it having seen where it came from, which legally speaking, shows intent. They said this would be the case whether I dropped my phone, wallet, keys, money or something of monetary value.

I feel daft for not securing it, but in the same situation I would have got the person's attention and handed it back, not said "Ooh finders keepers!"

If this woman has been caught essentially doing the same thing (and has form), I say good. She's committed a crime. £20 is a decent amount of money and half my weekly food budget.

It's a bit different finding a random fiver on the street or in the woods though and this girl finding it IN A SHOP as it is much more likely that the money can be reunited with its rightful owner.

Pick up. Hand in. Job done.

If I'd been that girl in the shop I'd have absolutely handed in the money to the person behind the counter. Without question. And I have been fucking skint at times and would still do the same thing. Tough way for her to learn a lesson but maybe next time she'll think twice?

But what about the sacred British law of 'finders keepers' We have that drummed into us from school age - losers weepers.

In all honesty, if I found money I would keep it (and have in the past - best being £10 in an elevator in a massive mall in a big city). If I saw someone drop it I would return it or if there was any way of identifying whose it might be I would return it. I've returned a couple of wallets in my time as I know how frustrating it is to lose a wallet, and have had the good deed returned when mine got handed into the police (without cash, but that was certainly done before the good samaritan picked it up!) - but I wouldn't go and hand in loose money I found in the street or even in a shop and honestly don't think many people would.

But I also have to say that any time a conviction like this seems stupid it's probably because there's a lot we don't know, like a previous record, opportunistic theft and apparently in this case also lying to the police.

I would. And I have.

I once found 10 euros on the street and reported it. I could keep it as predictably the owner never turned up.

I think from 5 upwards, there's a chance this is money someone really needs and will go look for.

And I assume that, in the shop, it was obvious or could have easily have been found out who it belonged to.

A warning would have been sufficient in my opinion, as the courts are surely busy with other things, but a repeat offender should be punished, as this is a crime.

I lost my purse once, I'm not sure how, but I must have dropped it between the shop and the park, where I was taking the DCs. It had all my cards and a big wodge of cash in, and I was distraught. I went straight to the police station, and it had already been handed in, found by a dogwalker. I was so relieved and it restored my faith in humanity.

I found a purse in a bus shelter once, with nothing in it apart from a student ID card, an eye pencil and a sim card. I handed that in too although I was tempted to see what was on the sim card because I am nosy and the owner was reunited with it, so all was well.

I think it's because she found it in a shop, so there is more chance of the person who lost it coming back to the shop looking for it.

If I found £20 on the street I would keep it, in a building I would hand it in. Though legally I know it's the same.

When I was 16yo I found £80 in notes blowing about on the street and gave it to the police. A pensioner came to the police station distraught as he'd lost his pension money and couldn't buy food, etc without it. Was so glad I handed it in.

In my mind, a bank or shop is different to the street though. If it was in a shop - I'd hand it cos maybe the owner is a regular visit to the shop and can get the money back. In the case of a cash point - I'd take it back into the bank cos they can likely sort it out. On the streets and I didn't see anyone drop it - yes I'd pocket it. Though not £20 - anything over a fiver I'd hand in (mainly cos I think not many people would go to police for a fiver but would maybe for more) I've handed money in in the past and the owner didn't claim it and I got to keep the £50 anyway. Win-win, and a clean conscience.
The police wouldn't go ahead if it wasn't in public interest though, and the woman has a record? Maybe she has form for it in which case this is fair enough.

Our police station doesn't take found property any more. If she took reasonable steps to find the owner then being prosecuted is harsh. There is likely to be a lot more to this.

I work in a small shop. I have found cash on the floor in the past £5 or £10. We put it in an envelope with the date on in the safe so we can hand it back if claimed. If no one comes in we stick it in the charity box after a couple of months.

Didn't know she was accused of theft before. But anyway I know she done wrong, but a caution would have been enough, it shouldn't have went to court.

It sounds like she saw the woman drop it. You'd need to see the CCTV, but I can picture it showing her see the dropped note, look to check that the owner isn't looking, and then trying to sneakliy pick it up. If that was the case then she deserved it.

If you find loose money on the floor (of a public place) with no potential owner around and nothing to identify them, such as a wallet or credit card, then it's fair enough to keep it.

TBH I've had it where a bloke left £20 at the machine and walked off - i chased after him and shouted and he told me to fuck off and wouldn't pay attention so I pocketed it - oops I'm a thief - I think it's ridiculous , ad if it isn't hard enough to get a job without a conviction , return of the money and a warning would've been sufficient

For everyone talking about people leaving money in ATMs, I once passed one where someone had withdrawn about £25 and forgotten to take the cash. While my friends and I were hesitating over what to do the machine swallowed the money - I assume it was credited back to their account.

When I mentioned it to my mum she told me I was silly and should have just run off with it

You know if you see money sticking out of an ATM and it's not yours, if you leave it the ATM takes it back and (presumably) credits it back it the absent minded person so wanted to withdraw it.

Was just coming on to tell you that if you see money sticking out of an ATM leave it as the machine will swallow it and re credit the account. If you take the money into the bank there's nothing they can do but pay it into their suspense account!

I got off a long international flight from Europe to South America, it was 5am and we were stragglers with lots of time to kill. We went into the toilets (me and small DC's) and found a large new looking i-phone on the paper dispenser, it had a screen saver and text in French. We were no where near France so very likely lost by someone on holiday, I felt awful for them. Everyone else was already on their way to baggage reclaim and there was no one around. I was tempted to leave it where it was but thought it best to go back and hand it to the cabin crew of the flight we'd just come off. I really hope that person got their phone back!

FGS.
I lost a £10 note from my pocket, when I was watching ds1 play football, on Sunday.
Shall I phone the police?
This is ridiculous.

I found $7000 wrapped round a passport in a toilet whilst abroad once.

I handed it in.

Don't think I'd head straight down the cop shop for £20 fluttering around in the street though (I know this isn't what she did).