A judge labelled her explanation a ‘pile of rubbish’ after she claimed to have taken a suitcase containing £5,000 believing it was lost luggage
Angela Corris outside Liverpool Magistrates’ Court(Image: Liverpool Echo)
A man “can’t eat or sleep” after a woman stole his suitcase at McDonald’s. Angela Corris was part of a gang of thieves who swiped the man’s bag, which contained £5,000 in cash, while he was using the toilet.
She later claimed to the police that she had taken his luggage as she believed it was lost property. But a judge today labelled her story “a pile of rubbish”.
Liverpool Magistrates’ Court heard this afternoon that victim Nasimi Esmaeil left his suitcase underneath a table while visiting the toilet at the branch of McDonald’s on Clayton Square in Liverpool city centre on January 4 last year. He then returned to find that the bag – which he stated contained £5,000 in cash, as well as his birth certificate and clothing – had gone.
Diana Przemecka, prosecuting, described how Corris, formerly of Russell Road in Southport, was seen by the manager leaving the premises in a group of three people in possession of the item. Under interview following her arrest, the 39-year-old told detectives that she “had a legal right to keep it because she found it” and was “looking to hand it in but did not know where the police station was”.
In a statement which was read out to the court on his behalf, Mr Esmaeil said: “This case has made me feel extremely angry. I’ve lost all of my belongings. This incident has made me feel unsafe when I go outside. I’ve had panic attacks because of the loss of my personal documents. I don’t know who has them or what they are doing with them.
“I’ve become increasingly suspicious towards people. My life has been changed. I feel as though I can’t leave my belongings with others, including my friends.
“I get upset so easily. I’ve never been like this in the past. The damage is staying with me, and I’m unable to get over it. The money in the bag was my savings, which I worked hard to receive. I just can’t believe that this has happened to me. I’m not eating or sleeping as I should.”
Corris has a total of three previous convictions for seven offences, including an appearance in February 2024 and an entry on her criminal record for theft in 2012. Nick Woosey, defending, told the court that his client suffered from a history of self harm, adding: “Her current lifestyle is chaotic.
“She is homeless. A letter from her GP outlines a plethora of issues. There are underlying issues that need to be addressed. She is relatively lightly convicted.”
Corris previously admitted one count of theft. She had been due to be sentenced on Tuesday, but her case was ultimately adjourned in order to assess her suitability for a mental health treatment requirement.
District Judge Wendy Lloyd released her on unconditional bail ahead of her new sentencing date at Sefton Magistrates’ Court on February 20, but said of her account under interview: “If you really thought that somebody had left it behind, you would speak to the McDonald’s staff or wait for five minutes to see if someone came back. I think that is a pile of rubbish. You stole it, end of.”