A mother-of-six and her son travelled to York to steal hundreds of pounds worth of children’s clothes in repeated raids on a shop.

Mother-of-six Julieann McDonagh, 38, and Martin McDonagh, 20, went in and out of Matalan on Clifton Moor as they loaded their van with shoplifted items on March 12, said Alex Steadward, prosecuting at York Magistrates' Court.

But shop staff had noticed their repeated visits, realised they were stealing, took the van’s registration number and police stopped and arrested the pair on their way home.

Inside the van officers found clothes worth £779.50 and a foil-lined handbag.

The mother and son, both of Droylsden Road, Manchester, pleaded guilty to theft. The mother had two previous convictions for theft and the son one previous conviction for theft.

Mr Steadward said it was the second time the defendants had been convicted of a joint shoplifting expedition.

In 2023, they had gone into Flannels in Crown Point Shopping Centre, near Leeds, and stolen clothes worth £495. The mother had received a 12-month conditional discharge on April 20, 2023, and the son a nine-month conditional discharge.

For the York theft, both were fined £200 each and ordered to pay a £80 statutory surcharge and £85 prosecution costs. Magistrates ordered the van be confiscated.

They said mother and son had travelled to commit the shoplifting. They heard that the pair had first gone into Matalan in the morning, had returned at lunchtime and had returned again in the afternoon.

For the mother, Andrew Craven said she had five dependent children of various ages up to the low teens, all living with her. Her oldest son, Martin, also lived at home and his wife was pregnant with their child.

She lived on benefits. “It is not covering their needs. She is struggling to make ends meet,” he said.

Julieann McDonagh had mental health difficulties and was prescribed pregabalin and another drug, the court heard.

For Martin McDonagh, Lee-Ann Robins-Hicks said he regretted his actions, felt remorseful and was embarrassed about what he had done.

“He recognises the stupidity of his involvement in these matters,” she said.

He was expecting his partner to give birth in the next six weeks and had genetic defects that meant that he could not work. He was on medication and would require surgery.