Hamilton drug addicted shoplifter Anne Dickson brandishes knife after stealing socket set, fragrances

The woman and a co-accused pushed past security staff at Chemist Warehouse who asked to check her bag.

Hours after brandishing a knife while stealing a socket set, a Hamilton shoplifter produced the weapon again and told staff to “back the f*** up” after she stole perfume.

Anne Dickson and a co-accused had just pushed past Chemist Warehouse security staff, who asked to check her bag, when she pulled the 30cm long knife out.

That interaction was caught on the security guard’s body camera and helped police in their prosecution after the March 19 incident last year.

Dickson appeared in the Hamilton District Court for sentencing on two charges of aggravated robbery, along with a theft from The Warehouse and failing to appear in court after being granted bail.

‘Don’t do it’

Dickson’s first theft of $46 was at the Warehouse on January 9 last year, and after being granted bail, she didn’t bother going back to court.

Instead, on March 19, she went to Hamilton’s Super Cheap Auto on Mill St, in a vehicle with false plates.

She entered the store with another person and was spotted by staff removing the packaging from car seat covers.

They were approached by staff, and had the seat covers and a tyre iron taken off them and asked to leave.

As she approached the door, she grabbed a socket set. A staff member said, “Don’t do it”, but she did, and walked out, being followed by the staff member.

Dickson then half turned and brandished the knife at them while mumbling something.

Then, nearly three hours later, Dickson and a co-defendant went to the Chemist Warehouse and stole fragrances before she pulled out the knife again.

When caught by police, she admitted the offences.

‘Driven by addiction’

Judge Crayton said her offending was exacerbated by the use of the knife, “which potentially can have extremely serious, occasionally fatal, consequences if used”.

Dickson also targeted a retail outlet and stole items which could then be used to trade for money or drugs.

He took an overall starting point of five years’ jail, before allowing discounts for her guilty pleas and personal circumstances, including her mental health state and abuse of substances.

“[They are] offences which strike me as being particularly desperate offences committed in a relatively haphazard way for small monetary gain, but at huge risk.

“Both to your liberty but also to the personal safety and wellbeing of your victims.

“They cover all the hallmarks of offending committed by someone driven by addiction.”

He then accepted her “extremely difficult background” of trauma in her adolescence and early adulthood and “unsurprising use of alcohol and drugs”.

Dickson was jailed for three years.

Judge Crayton declined to order any reparation as Dickson had no means to pay.

Belinda Feek is an Open Justice reporter based in Waikato. She has worked at NZME for 11 years and has been a journalist for 22.