Corby woman dubbed 'one of country's worst shoplifters' is banned from hiding her face in public
A violent shoplifter who was last year said to be one of the worst in the country has been hit with a court order that bans her from begging and hiding her face after a new £845 alcohol stealing spree.
Paula McKenna, from Plumpton Court, Corby, was shamed by a national newspaper who described how she had been violent toward shop staff in Corby and had threatened them if they tried to stop her.
She has been caught on numerous occasions nicking from shops across the town.
Now, after yet another stealing spree, McKenna has been given a Criminal Behaviour Order that places strict restrictions on her to try to stop her offending. CBOs are given only to the most persistent and anti-social offenders and are designed to prevent harm to the local community.
After being released from her first jail term last year following many years of offending, in late 2025 the 37-year-old was interviewed by reformed drug addict and criminal Cullan Mais, who visited Corby and spoke to her for his The Central Club podcast and Youtube channel. The interview was broadcast on November 3, 2025.
McKenna spoke about hitting national headlines and said that she ‘couldn’t believe she put herself through it’.
She said of her heroin addiction: “Basically it’s a mug’s game. Just stay the f*** away from it.
"There’s only one winner and it’s the drug dealer.
"Just get your life back on track.”
Now McKenna has once again been before the courts in order to be sentenced for crimes committed in the weeks after the interview was broadcast.
On November 19 she stole alcohol worth £173 from Tesco Extra, and the following day, November 20, she was back to steal booze worth £207 from the same shop. She returned to Tesco again on the same day to take more alcohol to the value of £273.80.
On November 22 she took biscuits worth £24 from Morrisons Daily in Farmstead Road – the shop she was sitting outside when she was interviewed outside for the podcast.
On December 1 she went back to Tesco to take more alcohol worth £203.60.
She was brought before Northampton Magistrates’ Court in February after admitting five counts of shoplifting. She was given 10 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to complete 25 rehabilitation activity days.
She was also ordered to pay compensation of £845.40 to the shops in question and £85 in costs.
And she was given a criminal behaviour order that lasts two years.
It stops her from
- Entering any premises in which she has been banned or excluded.
- Remaining anywhere where she has been asked to leave by staff
- approaching people to ask for money in Northamptonshire
- Drinking alcohol in public (except for in a licenced premises)
- Entering any premises with her face covered or wearing anything that could be used to hide her identity.