Three Latvian women are facing potential jail sentences after stealing approximately £5,500 worth of merchandise from Cheshire Oaks, one of the United Kingdom's largest designer retail outlets. The women, identified as Dollaresa Pauce, 27, Estera Stepane, 30, and Raksana Kleina, 24, targeted multiple high-end stores within the complex on June 6.
Their spree involved the theft of sunglasses, clothing, handbags, and footwear from brands including Sunglasses Hut, Hugo Boss, Levis, Nike, Paul Costello, Dr Martens, Calvin Klein, French Connection, and Coach Store. The group had traveled 75 miles from their residence in Barnsley, Greater Manchester, to carry out the thefts.
Security staff at Cheshire Oaks alerted the police when they observed the women attempting to leave the premises with a large quantity of stolen goods and enter a waiting BMW 3-series. The suspects initially dropped some items in an attempt to evade officers but were apprehended nearby. A further cache of stolen merchandise was discovered by police in the getaway vehicle, which was parked in a Sainsbury's car park.
Of the total £5,457 worth of items stolen, Pauce pleaded guilty to nine theft offenses totaling £2,620, including £1,936 in sunglasses from Sunglasses Hut and £1,395 in clothing from Hugo Boss. Stepane admitted to eight theft offenses valued at £1,999. Kleina, who was driving the BMW, pleaded guilty to five theft charges amounting to £838, along with charges for driving without a license or insurance. Inquiries revealed the BMW was uninsured and Kleina lacked a valid driving license.
Some recovered items, such as a Hugo Boss jacket and Levi's jeans, could not be resold due to damage sustained during the removal of security tags. Pauce, who has a previous shoplifting conviction from 2021, stated she had been in the UK for 18 years. Stepane was not present for the hearing as she was in Scotland preparing to return to Latvia for a family funeral. Kleina's case awaits a pre-sentence report.
All three women were granted bail but are subject to sentencing guidelines that could result in up to 26 weeks in jail. They have also been prohibited from entering Cheshire pending a future hearing in Sheffield next month. Cheshire Oaks, located off Junction 10 of the M53, is the largest outlet center in the UK, featuring 145 stores and was recognized as Europe's first designer outlet village upon its opening in March 1995.