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Woman guilty of store return deception

A social inquiry report was yesterday ordered on a senior social worker after she was found guilty in Magistrates’ Court of dishonesty.Kennette Robinson was found guilty of dishonestly obtaining a gift certificate valued at $152.70 from the People’s Pharmacy by returning a baby carrier that she never actually purchased.Robinson had denied the charge, insisting the incident was a mistake and stating she returned the gift certificate a few days later, but Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo called her evidence “inconsistent and implausible.”During the trial, Crown counsel Tawana Tannock told the court that on June 30 last year Robinson entered the People’s Pharmacy with a small plastic bag.After looking at sunblock, she reportedly went to the baby section, picked up a Baby Bjorn carrier from the shelf and took it to the cash register.The prosecution said Robinson told staff that she wanted to return the carrier, and after discussion she was given a gift certificate.Once she had left the premises, staff examined the security camera footage and, realising she had taken the carrier from the shelf, contacted the police.However, Robinson told the court that she never asked to be refunded for the carrier, but was instead talking about possibly returning a separate carrier that she had bought for her sister, using the carrier from the shelf as an example.She said it was days later when she realised the value of the certificate, and when she did she returned it to the store, leaving her name and phone number on it.While Robinson was on the stand, Mr Tokunbo asked where the baby carrier she was asking about returning was.She responded that it was given away to needy mothers in April or May of 2010 months before she claims she asked about returning it.Rendering his judgment, Mr Tokunbo said that the testimony of the store staff, who said Robinson was told the value of the gift certificate, was consistent, but he questioned Robinson’s statements.“I doubt whether she was being truthful,” he said. “In my respectful opinion, her story was inconsistent and implausible.“If the carrier was disposed of by her office in April or May 2010, why make an inquiry in June about returning or exchanging it.“If she still had it, why not return it to the People’s Pharmacy since she maintained she still had it.”Finding Robinson guilty of dishonesty, Mr Tokunbo ordered a social inquiry report, releasing Robinson on bail until July 14, when she is expected to return for sentencing.