A FORMER Huddersfield woman who stole from dozens of gym lockers is behind bars.
Jeanette Fidler, 38, admitted 42 offences of thefts from leisure centres across the north west. Now she has been jailed by Preston Crown Court for two years.
Fidler, who was living in Oldham, stole property worth more than £16,000.
The mother of two was said to have turned to crime to fund a drugs habit.
Fidler moved from Huddersfield to Oldham and by chance met a drugs dealer who assaulted her and made her steal from a gym in Leeds. The offences were committed in relation to an existing drugs debt.
The court was told that between August last year and February this year, Fidler had caused emotional and financial distress to 65 victims over a seven-month period.
Gym users returned to the locker room to find their property had been taken — including one woman who had her engagement and wedding rings taken.
Fidler also used credit cards she had taken to buy high-value items from retail parks and withdrew money.
The gym owners were also out of pocket after having to fork out thousands of pounds for damage caused to the lockers, which in many cases had been prised open.
Fidler appeared for sentence having pleaded guilty to a total of 42 offences which included theft, fraud and one of handling stolen goods.
She also asked for 23 similar offences to be taken into consideration. The total amount involved in the offences was £16,059.
The crimes took place at gyms all over the region — in Tameside, Rochdale, Heywood, Runcorn, Chorley, Blackpool, Bolton, Preston, Trafford and Ellesmere.
Fidler had 130 previous offences on her record. Mr David Ryan, defending, said there had been a degree of planning, with high value and often items with sentimental value taken.
Fidler was now free from illegal drugs and was on methadone and wanted the support of the probation service.
He added that when challenged in gyms and leisure clubs she had not threatened force and in some cases property was recovered.
Fidler had started using heroin and as a result lost her senior position as a recruitment manager, home and lifestyle she had been accustomed to.
“She wishes to apologise for her actions and is deeply ashamed and embarrassed about what she has done,” said Mr Ryan.
