Three Latvian women are facing potential jail sentences after stealing an estimated £5,500 worth of designer goods from Cheshire Oaks, one of the United Kingdom's largest designer retail outlets. Dollaresa Pauce, 27, Estera Stepane, 30, and Raksana Kleina, 24, drove approximately 75 miles from their homes in Barnsley to the Ellesmere Port shopping complex on June 6.
Their targets included Sunglasses Hut, Hugo Boss, Levis, Nike, and Paul Costello, among other brands sold at the 145-store complex. The stolen items encompassed sunglasses, clothing, handbags, and footwear. Police were alerted by security staff who observed the women attempting to leave the premises with the merchandise and enter a waiting BMW 3-series.
The group initially dropped some items while trying to evade officers but were apprehended nearby. A further stash of stolen goods was discovered by police in the getaway vehicle, which was parked in a Sainsbury's car park.
In total, the women stole items valued at £5,457. This included £1,936 worth of sunglasses from Sunglasses Hut and £1,395 worth of clothing from Hugo Boss. Some recovered items, such as a Hugo Boss jacket and Levi's jeans, could not be resold due to damage incurred during attempts to remove security tags.
Investigations revealed that Raksana Kleina, the driver of the BMW, was operating the vehicle without a license and was uninsured. The car was described as a 155mph six-speed automatic.
At Chester Magistrates' Court, Pauce pleaded guilty to nine counts of theft totaling £2,620. Stepane admitted to eight offenses involving goods worth £1,999. Kleina pleaded guilty to five theft charges, with items valued at £838, and to driving without a license or insurance.
Pauce, who came to the UK with her parents at age 10, has a previous conviction for shoplifting in 2021. Her solicitor noted that she is a single mother of two. Stepane did not attend her hearing as she was in Scotland preparing for a family funeral, with her lawyer stating she cares for her mother full-time and is experiencing mental health struggles.
The women were granted bail but are subject to sentencing guidelines that could result in jail terms of up to 26 weeks. They have been banned from entering Cheshire pending a further hearing scheduled for next month in Sheffield. The court ordered a pre-sentence report to be prepared for Kleina.