Single mum from Derbyshire stole two vintage Mercedes belonging to her landlord 'to put food on the table'

Laura Marie Swan had been living in the property in the Belper area at the time of the offence in May 2019 with her three children, Chesterfield Magistrates’ Court was told on Monday, September 14.

Prosecuting, Robert Carr said the two Mercedes 450s were stored in a lock-up at the rear of the property she was renting and she sold the vehicles to a scrap merchant who in turn sold them, at a profit, to a car dealership where the deception was eventually discovered.

The vehicles were eventually returned to their rightful owner, Mr Carr added.

Swan, 26, admitted theft of a motor vehicle when she appeared before the court.

Mitigating, David Cusack said: “She is a single parent of three children aged four, five and seven, money was short and she had been involved in an abusive relationship.

“There had been problems with the property, it had been damp, and the benefits she was getting were not enough to cover the rent. She did it because she was desperate - she was trying to put food on the table.”

District Judge Andrew Davison fined Swan, now of Parliament Street, Newhall, Swadlincote, £200 and ordered her to pay £85 in prosecution costs and a £30 victim surcharge.

He said it was impossible to award compensation as it wasn’t clear whether anybody was actually out of pocket.

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