A CON artist couple who came on holiday to Scotland and targeted vulnerable elderly women in a stealing spree were caught thanks to an eagle-eyed Alloa Tesco staff member.

Cleaner Sandra Packowska and her boyfriend Angelo Wierschchanwski, a car salesman and mechanic, travelled north from their home in Essex for a “family break” leaving their two young children behind.

However the couple’s unusual holiday activities included distracting old ladies in supermarkets so they could make off with their valuables, Stirling Sheriff Court heard.

The pair claimed they were not planning the supermarket scams and had gone in to buy chicken wings when the incidents occurred.

The couple, both 26, who have similar cases pending in several courts in England, first targeted a 72-year-old woman shopping in Stirling’s Tesco in Wallace Street.

Fiscal depute Adrian Fraser told the court the victim had hung her handbag from a hook on her shopping trolley and was distracted by Wierschchanwski who approached her with a bottle of cough medicine and began asking her about various medicines.

He said, “It was an obvious distraction.” He said the victim reached the till and found her purse, containing around £23, had been stolen and on checking the CCTV the store saw the couple enter together and leave without buying anything.

Mr Fraser added, “The view taken by the store manager that Wierschchanwski had been distracting the victim while Packowska had taken the purse.” Later the same day the couple targeted a 74-year-old woman at Morrison’s supermarket at Springkerse Retail Park, Stirling, in a similar sting, making off with a purse containing £130.

The police were called and information about the pair was circulated around supermarkets in the area.

They were later spotted by a staff member at Tesco in Alloa and tracked down by officers where they were found to have cash on them.

The couple, of Billet Road, Romford, Essex, pleaded guilty to stealing by acting together to distract elderly ladies whilst shopping and steal from their handbags on 20 June 2014.

Packowska also admitted driving a Nissan Almera without a licence or insurance on Clackmannan Road on the same date. The couple’s lawyer, Frazer McCready, said, “My instructions are that they came on a family trip, the two of them, to Scotland and initially stayed in the Glasgow area then travelled up to this area and they were hoping to find room at a campsite.

“They were looking to rent a caravan and they maintain they attended Tesco to make purchases and they did not go to Tesco to target vulnerable old ladies.” He added, “They told the police that they were looking to buy amongst other things chicken wings.” He said they had not bought anything from either Stirling supermarket.

Mr McCready said, “They both tell me that they are remorseful. They find it difficult to be away from their children.” On Wednesday (23 July) Sheriff William Gilchrist told the couple, “It’s perfectly obvious to the court what you were doing - you were targeting vulnerable and elderly females with a view to stealing from them.

“Notwithstanding the serious nature of the charges a custodial sentence is unavoidable.” Sheriff Gilchrist then jailed the 26-year-olds for six months and banned Packowska from driving for 18 months.