A judge said suspended sentences had not deterred her so a custodial sentence was ‘unavoidable’
Mark Naylor Humber Court Reporter
13:45, 24 Sep 2026
Samantha Curley admitted 17 offences(Image: Humberside Police)
A heavy-drinking woman who turned nasty during a series of bad-tempered confrontations after she was caught shoplifting has been given a criminal behaviour order in a bid to protect stores from her antics. The long list of offences happened in Goole between November 22 and July 9 at shops including Tesco, Farmfoods, Boots, Boyes, Lidl and Greggs.
She completely ignored two suspended prison sentences but her luck finally ran out when she ended up in prison, Hull Crown Court heard.
Samantha Curley, 41, of Pasture Road, Goole, admitted 17 offences, including eight of shop theft, three of assault, two of racially aggravated harassment, one of racially aggravated putting someone in fear of violence and three of using threatening and abusive behaviour.
Jane Rapin, prosecuting, said that Curley became abusive after a female manager at Lidl in Rawcliffe Road, Goole, told her to empty her bags on June 17. Curley tried to leave, threatened to spit at her and grabbed the woman by the neck and squeezed.
The manager later said: “At the time that she had her hand around my neck, I feared for my life.” She felt frightened to be out on the shop floor and it had made her afraid to come to work.
During another incident, two members of staff at Farmfoods in Goole recognised Curley on July 9 and two of them followed her. They were able to recover some of the stolen items and she shouted at them.
She became abusive to one man, waved her arms around and hit him on the back. She slapped another man before making off.
During another confrontation at Tesco in Boothferry Road, Goole, on November 22, there was a scuffle when Curley tried to leave with a bag of goods. She shouted at a 16-year-old boy: “My boys are coming and will annihilate you.”
Curley hurled racial abuse at a security guard. She had convictions for 29 previous offences, including thefts, assaults and public disorder. She was in breach of a six-month suspended prison sentence imposed at Sheffield Crown Court on January 5 for possessing drugs with intent to supply. She was also in breach of a 20-week suspended sentence made by Hull magistrates on January 12.
Jazmine Lee, mitigating, said that Curley’s offending started in 2023 with her taking drugs into a prison for an inmate. The other offences started when she had no money to pay off another man’s debts that she was being chased to pay.
“She now accepts that she has an issue with alcohol,” said Miss Lee. Curley had been using alcohol as a coping mechanism. “Being in and out of custody is going to be what she faces if she continues,” said Miss Lee.
Curley had been in custody on remand for a couple of months. She had adult children.
Judge Alexander Menary said that the suspended sentences did not deter Curley from further offending, which was the whole point of them. “A custodial sentence is unavoidable,” said Judge Menary.
Curley was jailed for one year and she was given a five-year criminal behaviour order.
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