Eileen Cash has a ‘significant history of stealing’
Martin Naylor Courts and legal affairs correspondent
11:24, 03 Dec 2025Updated 11:25, 03 Dec 2025
Prolific shoplifter Eileen Cash, 32, of Shirebrook Close, Basford, leaving Nottingham Crown Court having been handed a suspended sentence order(Image: Reach Plc)
This Nottingham mother-of-six targeted the same store to steal a large amount of towels.
Nottingham Crown Court was told how over a year of offending, prolific thief Eileen Cash took almost £2,000 of goods from Homesense at Castle Marina Retail Park.
On one day alone, having failed in a bid to walk out of the store with a £250 vacuum cleaner, the 32-year-old tried her luck at TK Maxx in Chilwell instead.
And the Basford mum’s own barrister told the sentencing hearing that her client “can’t give a huge explanation as to why she continued to commit these offences”.
Handing her a six-month jail term, suspended for two years, Judge Nirmal Shant KC said: “Eileen Cash, you may be one of those who think stealing from shops does not cause damage.
“It does, because in the end it is members of the public who pay.
“It is not one of those crimes where there is no victim.
“On five occasions between December 2023 and November 2024 you were caught stealing and this is one of those cases where it is aggravated by the value.
“The top (sentencing guideline) category is £1,000 and you stole nearer to double that.
“You have a significant history of stealing already albeit I take into account there was a gap between 2018 and 2023.
“Those who involve themselves in prolific shoplifting should understand that the courts take the view it is immediate custody.
“This time I am going to stay my hand but if you think you have got away with it you have six months hanging over your head and it won’t work next time to say you have children or have a difficult past.”
Eileen Cash leaving court(Image: Reach Plc)
Christopher Grabowski, prosecuting, said Cash targeted Homesense at Castle Marina Retail Park in Nottingham, on three occasions between December 2023 and November 2024.
He said on each occasion she entered with at least one unknown female.
The prosecutor said goods taken and not recovered included a high number of towels – more than 30 – children’s toys, food and two sideboards and a vacuum cleaner – totalling more than £1,800, which were mostly never recovered.
Mr Grabowski said the defendant also entered TK Maxx at the Giltbrook Retail Park, near Ikea, on August 28, last year, and walked out having failed to pay for more than £400 of towels and baby clothes.
He said: “On November 6, the same day as she tried to take the Shark vacuum cleaner from Homesense, she entered TK Maxx in Chilwell and took a toy box and £5.99 of chocolate.
“The toy box was recovered but the chocolate had been consumed.
“These offences were planned rather than being spontaneous.”
A view of Castle Marina Retail Park in Nottingham.
(Image: Joseph Raynor/ Nottingham Post)
Cash, of Shirebrooke Close, pleaded guilty to five counts of shop theft and has seven convictions for nine offences on her previous criminal record.
Natalie Goffe, mitigating, said her client is “someone who is motivated to address her behaviour”.
She said: “She can’t give a huge explanation as to why she continued to commit these offences.
“She has six children, the youngest of which is 10 months old, and she knows she can’t continue with this and is very much ashamed of her actions.
“Her mental health issues have contributed to her behaviour.”
As part of the suspended sentence order, the judge ordered the defendant to attend 20 rehabilitation sessions and handed her a 12-month mental health treatment programme.
