A woman on trial for shoplifting groceries was said to “not quite fit” the standard Waitrose customer, a court heard.

Kelly Pierson was described by a member of staff at the branch in Sevenoaks as looking “a mess” and like a “typical drug user”, compared to their usual “upper class and very well-dressed” clientele.

But Mark Barnes, who was employed as a team leader at the store, said it was not the 41-year-old’s appearance which made him suspicious but her trolley full of high-end products, including several packs of steak and numerous coffee jars.

Giving evidence at Maidstone Crown Court on Tuesday, Mr Barnes said the goods were not typical of a weekly shop.

Pierson was eventually stopped by the supermarket’s general manager as she tried to leave via a lift without paying.

She denied theft of groceries worth £254 on June 16 last year.

Mr Barnes told the jury he first spotted Pierson in the meat aisle. “She looked like she was potentially under the influence of drink or drugs,” he said. “She did not quite fit the Waitrose, Sevenoaks, customer.

“She looked like she was potentially under the influence of drink or drugs. She did not quite fit the Waitrose, Sevenoaks, customer" - Mark Barnes

“I watched her for some time and noticed her shopping was out of the ordinary and her trolley had quite a number of high-end products.”

These included four packets of steak, five jars of Nescafe Gold Blend at £8.85 each, Welsh lamb, tuna at £6 a tin and a pack of chicken breasts priced £12.99.

Mr Barnes, who was wearing his staff uniform, said he did not speak or approach Pierson but watched her from a distance.

She appeared to be using her phone to text but Mr Barnes added she did a “double-look” as if she had noticed he was watching her.

Pierson, of Chipperfield Road, Orpington, then headed towards the tills and the lift. Mr Barnes said there was nothing preventing her from joining a queue or paying.

“She had her head down and was not trying to make eye contact with anybody,” he added. “A lift became available and with her head down she very quickly made her way towards it.”

When stopped by the general manager Pierson was said to appear “spaced out”.

Prosecutor Sarah Lindop said she started crying, said she was a single parent and had intended to pay, pulling out £40 in cash.

Pierson later told police she was in Sevenoaks visiting her sister and shopping for other family members.

Mr Barnes agreed that Waitrose, whose previous slogans include ‘Everyone deserves Waitrose’, did not have a dress code.

He also admitted that other goods in Pierson’s trolley, including Cadbury’s mini chocolate rolls, Dolmio pasta sauce and Febreze air freshener, were all usual weekly shopping groceries.

But he denied “making the assumption” Pierson looked as if she could not afford to pay, and maintained it was the “large quantity of meat and large quantity of coffee” that made him suspicious.

Pierson was convicted and sentenced to a community order with a tagged curfew between 7pm and 6am for four months.

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