A former criminology lecturer who proudly calls herself “the UK’s poshest thief” has dodged prison once again after nicking nearly £12,000 worth of alcohol from Sainsbury’s.
Pauline Al Said, 35, walked away from Southampton Crown Court with an 18-month suspended sentence after admitting to swiping £11,964 in expensive vodka, gin, prosecco and wine over a nine-month shoplifting spree.
The Polish-born academic, who previously worked at Bath Spa University, carried out what the court described as a “campaign of high-value shoplifting” to fund a drug addiction.
She claims to have moved to Britain at the age of 17, and has spent time living in the Middle East, which she says gave her “a deeper appreciation for different cultures, perspectives, and ways of life.”
Al Said first hit the headlines back in 2024 when she was caught stealing more than £1,000 worth of Le Creuset cookware, premium steaks, wine and gin from Waitrose and Marks & Spencer.
She and her then-husband Mark Wheatcroft, 56, were slapped with a combined £2,500 fine for their daylight thefts on a garden centre and a Marks and Spencer branch.
Judge Keith Cutler dished out the penalty after deciding Al Said would not comply with community service.
It was after this conviction that the former senior criminology lecturer became the self-proclaimed “UK’s poshest thief”, as was seen in her X biography.
Pauline Al Said, who proudly calls herself ‘the UK’s poshest thief’, has dodged prison once again after nicking nearly £12,000 worth of alcohol from Sainsbury’s
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Following this, Al Said targeted Sainsbury’s stores on six separate occasions between June 2024 and July 2025.
The court heard she hid expensive bottles of spirits beneath Disney dresses and dressing gowns in her trolley.
On one particularly brazen visit, she made off with 32 bottles of alcohol worth £798, then casually popped into the store’s cafe to read a newspaper – which she had also pinched.
Security guards eventually caught on after spotting large gaps appearing on the alcohol shelves and checking CCTV footage.
Pauline Al Said walked away from Southampton Crown Court with an 18-month suspended sentence after admitting to swiping £11,964 in expensive vodka, gin, prosecco and wine over a nine-month shoplifting spree
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Prosecutor Peter Shaw told the court the stolen goods were sold to fund her drug habit.
Emily Jarrod, defending Al Said, told the court: “She is a highly, highly educated woman and has worked in the criminal justice system, although you might say that’s worse because she should understand the impact her actions have.”
Ms Jarrod explained that Al Said had “turned a corner” after ending her “toxic relationship” with Wheatcroft in late 2025, moving back in with her mum, reconnecting with her estranged sister and beginning a new career as a life coach.
Judge Gary Lucie accepted she showed “genuine remorse” and told her: “You are a highly intelligent woman and, as you have said, you could do a lot of good.”
He sentenced her to 44 weeks’ custody, suspended for 18 months.
Al Said must now pay back £1,800 to Sainsbury’s – just over 15 per cent of what she stole – and attend 28 rehabilitation days.
She has also been banned from setting foot in any Sainsbury’s store for 18 months.
Meanwhile, she is busy building her new career under the professional name Pauline Tusien.
Her website offers “life and career mentoring” services, with the tagline: “Inspired by the inner power that lives within us all – the spark of purpose, growth, and transformation.”
She promises to help people “find clarity, when things feel complicated”.