Lucky shopper's big shock

A Palmerston North thief was nabbed when she was tricked into claiming a lucky shopper prize.

Amy Adams, 17, was convicted in the Palmerston North District Court of shoplifting. She was sentenced to 40 hours of community work and ordered to pay $40 restitution for chicken pieces taken from The Mad Butcher shop on January 8.

Adams was filmed by the shop's security cameras. Owner Wayne Gerrand put up her picture with the words, "This Week's Lucky Shopper".

"I just thought, 'Let's give this a try'," Mr Gerrand said.

Adams and a friend came into the store wanting to know what she had won. She admitted taking the chicken.

- NZPA