Fiona Knapp. Fiona Rose Knapp, 54, whose online profile describes her as a designer of fine jewellery with an "established international clientele", defended three charges of theft at a judge-alone trial in the Queenstown District Court today. Foodstuffs store detective Lynley Gray said CCTV footage showed Knapp leaving the supermarket on both occasions without paying for the items.
Knapp could be seen placing some items into her trolley and others into several shopping bags, but at checkout, she had not paid for items concealed in the bags, Ms Gray said. Counsel Tanya Surrey said Knapp had returned some of the items to the shelves before going to checkout because she did not have enough funds to pay for them. However, Ms Gray said she had "watched every frame, more than once" of Knapp’s time in the store on both occasions and was confident the defendant had not returned any items as claimed.
She could zoom in on the footage, and play it at quarter-speed, she said. Prosecuting Sergeant Ian Collin presented CCTV footage from the BP Queenstown station on January 5 showing Knapp filling up her vehicle with $34.99 of petrol, then driving off without paying.
Ms Surrey said it was simply an "oversight" by the defendant because she was tired and distracted, the petrol had subsequently been paid for. Judge Mark Williams said the video footage from the supermarket and petrol station "clearly showed" her offending, and found the defendant guilty on all charges. Ms Surrey initially as.
