Jail for pregnant prolific offender from Corby after pleading guilty to thefts and assault

Chloe Molloy appeared before Northampton Magistrates Court on Monday (January 12) after a wanted appeal had been issued by Northants Police after she failed to comply with a previous court order – including a 36-week sentence (suspended for 18 months) handed down in June 2025.

Appearing via video, 35-year-old Molloy who has links to Kettering, Corby and most recently Northampton pleaded guilty to 13 thefts from shops and the assault by beating of a security guard on Christmas Eve last year.

The court heard that Molloy had been involved in a string of shoplifting incidents in shops between November 26, 2025 and January 3 this year, including a theft from a B&M store.

Prosecutor Leanne Ashcroft said: “On December 24 she enters B&M (in Northampton). When leaving she spits into the security guard’s eyes and it goes directly into his mouth.”

A report shared with District Judge Amar Mehta by the Probation Service said Molloy’s compliance with officers and midwifery services had been ‘sporadic’ with ‘medium’ compliance, despite her being ‘heavily pregnant’. The officer added: “There is no realistic hope of rehabilitation.”

Defending his client, Daniel Simister pointed out Molloy had been sofa surfing between two properties after a move to The Hope Centre in Northampton.

He said: “She appreciates she is in an extremely difficult position. She is heavily pregnant – it is a compelling mitigating factor. She feels that going to prison would be detrimental to her as yet unborn child.”

The court heard that Molloy was currently homeless and had been stealing to pay to stay at two addresses.

Explaining her background, the judge heard Molloy had a ‘rather chaotic lifestyle’. Born in Kettering and brought up in Corby, she ‘grew up with an alcoholic father’ and she had used drugs ‘for a number of years’ but had been ‘working to reduce her use’.

In her defence, Mr Simister said Molloy knew she was at risk of being sent to prison for 36 weeks in prison if she breached her order and knew she could be jailed.

He added: “She puts herself at the mercy of the court.”

Addressing Molloy, Judge Mehta said: “Miss Molloy, whilst subject to a suspended sentence order you have missed appointments. The court put trust in you to attend in full. You did none of the sort. You committed more offences. A custodial sentence is appropriate.”

Begging the judge from her remand centre, Molloy said: “No, please, judge no!”

Carrying on his ruling, Judge Mehta said: “For each of the 13 thefts you will serve two weeks (26 weeks). With four weeks concurrent for the assault.”

The judge activated the suspended sentence meaning she will give birth in prison.

Neil Cowley of the Northamptonshire Business Crime Partnership said: “Everyone should have the right to go to work and do their job safely, including retail staff, and it is right that Chloe Molloy has been jailed for her unacceptable behaviour.

“She has a history of offending across Northamptonshire and has been given several chances to change her behaviour. Hopefully this sentence will not only give retailers respite but while it won’t be easy, this will also give her time to reflect and the opportunity to return to society in a more positive place.

“There is a perception that shop theft is not taken seriously but sentences like this show that our retail partnership working with the force is making a huge difference to communities and retailers.”

Chloe Molloy has a long history of offending covered by the Northants Telegraph.

In June 2025, while living in Highfield Road Kettering, she was sentenced to 36 weeks in prison suspended for 18 months for a spate of nine thefts of food and alcohol from stores and service stations in Kettering as well as an assault at Tesco Express in March 2024.

In March 2024, Molloy was jailed for her part in a vicious attack on a man in Kettering High Street. She admitted one charge of affray and was given a custodial sentence of 18 months because of her previous record of offending.

In February 2023, Molloy was jailed for stealing from Next in Kettering. She was jailed for 12 weeks because of her ‘flagrant disregard for people and their property’.

The previous year in March 2022, magistrates jailed Molloy for a total of 16 weeks for spitting in a police officer's face and for her 'flagrant disregard' for court orders. At the time she was subject to a community order after stealing a cactus from a shop in Corby and assaulting a man with it in 2021.