British social media influencer Imogen Carroll was convicted of stealing Jellycat toys worth £160.

A British influencer has been convicted after stealing a set of popular Jellycat soft toys from a farm shop in Cheshire, a court heard, with the 26-year-old later telling police she was in tax debt when she carried out the theft. Imogen Carroll, of Biddulph, Staffordshire, admitted taking six plush toys worth £160 from the Lambing Shed in Knutsford. Proceedings at Crewe Magistrates Court were told the items were never recovered, the Daily Mail reports. CCTV footage shown in court showed Carroll walking around the shop several times before placing the toys in her bag. Prosecutor Gabrielle Harrison said she then picked up a packet of crisps and dip and paid for them, in what she described as an attempt to distract from the items she had already taken. Carroll is later arrested by the police. He initially denied the crime but changed his plea to guilty on the first day of the hearing after CCTV evidence was presented. During questioning, he said he owed money to HM Revenue and Customs, the UK government department responsible for collecting taxes, and described the evasion as “opportunistic”, saying he had succumbed to “temptation”. The court heard that she was on bail at the time of the incident and had six previous convictions covering 11 offences, six of which were for theft or attempted theft. In mitigation, her barrister Lee Yates said she was facing financial difficulties relating to a previous business, which had left her owing tax. “Debts to HMRC do not go away easily,” he told the court. He also said that he accepted that what he did was wrong and that he has not been hurt since 2019. Sentencing him, Chairman of the bench Alan Jones said: “You committed this offense while on police bail and you have some previous convictions.” Carroll was ordered to pay a fine of £162, which was reduced to £180 due to his guilty plea, as well as £265 in costs, a victim surcharge and £160 in compensation. The stolen goods were from Jellycat, a London-based brand founded in 1999 that has seen its popularity rise in recent years. The company now sells in 77 countries, with prices ranging from around £15 for small toys to £200 for larger designs. Some limited edition items have been known to sell for over £1,000 online, making them attractive targets for theft.