Key Points
- Adele Campbell, a 41-year-from Johnstone, admitted to stealing garden strimmers valued at £460 from a B&Q store.
- The incident took place on April 23 at the B&Q branch located in Paisley’s Abbotsinch Retail Park.
- Campbell entered the store with an empty trolley, loaded it with the electrical gardening equipment, and walked past the self-service tills without paying.
- The stolen goods, totaling approximately £460 in value, were not recovered by store staff or law enforcement.
- Paisley Sheriff Court was told that Campbell is a former auxiliary nurse who previously worked in the Royal Alexandra Hospital and local care homes.
- Defence agent Ruth Wallace explained to the court that her client had relapsed into crack cocaine addiction after letting a substance-abusing individual into her life.
- Sheriff Scott sentenced Campbell to an 18-month social work supervision order, noting the measure is necessary to address underlying welfare and behavioral matters.
Paisley (Glasgow Express) September 23, 2026 — A Johnstone woman has admitted to carrying out a brazen daytime theft of garden equipment from a home improvement superstore, walking out with hundreds of pounds worth of electrical strimmers without making any attempt to pay.
Why Did Adele Campbell Target the Paisley B&Q Store?
As reported by Emylie Howie, Court Reporter for The Gazette, Adele Campbell appeared before Paisley Sheriff Court to admit her guilt regarding the April 23 theft. The court heard details of how the 41-year-old executed the shoplifting episode at the Abbotsinch Retail Park branch in broad daylight.
Detailing the sequence of events to the court, the procurator fiscal depute stated as reported by Emylie Howie of The Gazette:
“Shortly before 4pm on April 23, 2026, the accused entered B&Q pushing an empty trolley heading to the garden tool section.”
The prosecutor further outlined how the operation unfolded inside the busy retail outlet. As reported by Emylie Howie of The Gazette, the fiscal depute stated:
“Ten minutes later she had a trolley containing various garden strimmers and attended at the tills but passed through the self-service area without paying or attempting to pay.”
Following the incident, store management and security reviewed internal monitoring systems. As reported by Emylie Howie of The Gazette, the fiscal depute noted:
“CCTV was checked and showed the accused still in possession of the trolley with the contents and exiting the store.”
The financial impact and recovery status of the stolen merchandise were also clarified during the summary of the offense. As reported by Emylie Howie of The Gazette, the fiscal depute confirmed:
“The approximate value was £460, and the goods were not recovered.”
Following the breakdown of the security checks, the court heard that “Police were then contacted.”
What Did the Defence Say About Adele Campbell’s Background?
Mitigation presented to the bench shed light on a steep personal decline involving substance misuse, contrasted against a respectable professional background in the healthcare sector. Defence agent Ruth Wallace addressed Sheriff Scott regarding the motivations and personal struggles underpinning her client’s actions.
As reported by Emylie Howie of The Gazette, defence agent Ruth Wallace told the court how the 41-year-old speaks of being “embarrassed by her conduct.”
Elaborating on the defendant’s struggles with addiction, defence agent Ruth Wallace stated as reported by Emylie Howie of The Gazette:
“She became addicted to heroin but had been able to be abstinent from that.”
However, life circumstances shifted negatively for the defendant prior to the offense. As reported by Emylie Howie of The Gazette, defence agent Ruth Wallace added:
“She then let another individual into her life who abuses drugs, and she became addicted to crack cocaine.”
Despite these recent challenges, the court was reminded of Campbell’s previous contributions to public service and community care. As reported by Emylie Howie of The Gazette, defence agent Ruth Wallace noted:
“She was previously an auxiliary nurse in the Royal Alexandra Hospital and had worked in care homes.”
Offering a sign of positive rehabilitation progress since the April incident, the defence highlighted ongoing steps toward recovery. As reported by Emylie Howie of The Gazette, defence agent Ruth Wallace stated:
“She has been abstinent for three months and is engaging with services attending cocaine anonymous.”
How Did Paisley Sheriff Court Rule on the Case?
In response to the facts presented and the mitigation offered by the defence team, Sheriff Scott delivered the judicial outcome for the Johnstone resident.
As reported by Emylie Howie of The Gazette, Sheriff Scott made Campbell, of Kilmacolm Road in Johnstone, subject to supervision of the social work department for 18 months, stating the period “is necessary to deal with matters.” The community-based sentence aims to monitor her recovery trajectory and ensure ongoing engagement with local support structures.
Background of the Particular Development
Retail theft and shoplifting across commercial parks in Renfrewshire have remained a focal point for local law enforcement and business owners alike. Incidents involving high-value, easily portable items—such as garden power tools, electrical equipment, and seasonal hardware—frequently target larger outlets situated in retail parks due to their open layouts and proximity to major transport links.
Legal proceedings at Paisley Sheriff Court regularly process cases where retail crime intersects heavily with substance dependency issues. Judicial authorities and social work agencies across Scotland increasingly lean toward supervised community payback orders and structured drug rehabilitation requirements rather than custodial sentences for non-violent property offenses, particularly when defendants demonstrate active steps toward rehabilitation and stable abstinence, as seen in this case.
Prediction
This legal outcome highlights how local judicial systems balance accountability with rehabilitation for individuals battling substance misuse. For the retail sector and business community in Paisley and surrounding areas, developments of this nature underscore the continuous reliance on comprehensive CCTV systems and immediate police reporting to track commercial losses.
For offenders and community support groups, this case illustrates that while courts take property theft seriously—imposing mandatory oversight through social work supervision—genuine attempts at recovery and engagement with anonymous programs are heavily factored into judicial leniency. This approach may encourage similar offenders to seek medical and psychological help proactively, potentially lowering recidivism rates among former healthcare workers and vulnerable individuals trapped in cycles of addiction.
