A WOMAN shopping in Coles turned away from her trolley to look at some fruit when an opportunistic thief reached into her handbag and stole her purse.
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Police facts tendered to Orange Local Court last week stated two thieves took off with the purse and ran through Orange Central shopping centre toward the car park on June 22.
The woman chased after Anna Dennis, 39, and Gregory Dargin, calling out “you stole my purse”.
As the thieves ran through the car park a man saw the commotion and took up the chase.
He eventually caught up with Dargin who had stopped to look through the contents of the woman’s purse.
He snatched the purse back, doubled backed and ran into the woman and returned her purse, they then called police.
With the description given to them, police arrested Dargin and Dennis in Byng Street and walked them across the road to the Orange station.
The facts said Dennis slid the purse up her hooded jumper when she was confronted by the woman and denied the stealing.
Dennis and Dargin pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing in court on Thursday.
Both were remanded in custody because they had an extensive criminal history.
Dennis appeared via video link for the plea hearing.
“I was under the influence of drugs at the time I done it,” she told the court before Mr Lucas cut her off and told her to save her statement for the sentencing hearing.