Police theft accused re-instated in job before trial

Linda Totten whose address was given as PSNI Enniskillen, denies the charges

A police officer accused of shoplifting returned to her role, two months before her trial began, a court has heard.

Linda Totten whose address was given as PSNI Enniskillen, denies the charges.

They involve the theft of £156.81 of goods from an Asda store in Enniskillen on Christmas Eve 2013, and items to an unknown value four days earlier.

The court heard Ms Totten, 50, was suspended from duty in January 2014, shortly after her arrest, but was reinstated in her role in August 2017.

Nine separate interviews were carried out with Ms Totten by a PSNI inspector, throughout which she denied all allegations put to her and branded the evidence of Asda staff as lies.

'Overflowing trolley'

The hearing, at Dungannon Crown Court, is now in its fifth day.

Ms Totten claims she was subjected to abuse by staff when she tried to show a receipt for goods that turned out to be from two months earlier.

A prosecution lawyer said that on the first occasion Ms Totten had approached a check-out with "a trolley overflowing with items" but had only presented a few items for payment.

He said the accused had said the remainder of the items were already paid for, and that when asked for a receipt Ms Totten said it was "out in the car with her partner".

She was asked to retrieve this and agreed to fetch it.

The lawyer said that later that day a supervisor asked Ms Totten for the receipt, and was given one from two months earlier.