Warwick woman in Magistrates' Court on Friday.

Former Masters cashier Beth-Anne Tucker, 22, admitted she failed to record items worth $173.84 into her register on December 17, 1997.

Tucker, of Sandy Mount Lane, admitted she allowed Shirleyann Simons-Hayward, of Crane Lane, Pembroke, to call out items in a shopping basket.

Mr. Warner heard that Simons-Hayward neglected to call out a steel towel heater, a clothes hamper, and two waste paper baskets.

Crown counsel Leighton Rochester said a Masters manager watched the transaction and Tucker violated company policy by not registering the items in the electronic sensor system.

Tucker's lawyer, Juliana Jack, told Mr. Warner her client had a clean record and the incident was a one-off action.

She said the items were either purchased outright a short time later or returned to the store.

"Ms Tucker had lost her job due to the incident but is now working as a geriatric nurses aide,'' Ms Jack said. "She pleaded guilty and is sorry.'' Ms Jack asked Mr. Warner to bind Tucker over, thereby allowing her to continue her studies abroad.

Mr. Warner told Tucker: "I'm not in the habit of lecturing people, but I must in these circumstances. What I would like for you to realise is what you did and the consequences of it could follow you around for a long time.'' Mr. Warner sentenced Tucker under section 64 of the Criminal Code and bound her over for six months.

"That means if you commit no other offences in that time, the conviction literally disappears,'' he added.

Mr. Warner declined to hear the case against Simons-Hayward on the grounds that he had heard the facts.

He ordered Simons-Hayward to return to court on May 10 to stand trial for allegedly stealing from Masters.