Face of Nation : A woman has been charged after allegedly assaulting a Woolworths employee and trying to flee with a trolley full of groceries in Sydney’s northwest.
Footage of the incident, sent to 7News, shows a woman running out of a shopping centre in Baulkham Hills with a very full trolley on Monday afternoon.
A Woolworths employee chases after the 26-year-old, ordering her to stop.
The employee grabs onto the shopping cart, but the woman refuses to let it go.
A struggle ensues as the two women battle for control of the trolley, while the staff member can be heard claiming the woman stole the products.
At one point, the trolley smashes into a parked car before another shopper intervenes.
“Show her the receipt,” a man tells the woman.
She claims she doesn’t have one to which the man replies, “Then you stole it.”
The woman then says the employee is “breaking the law” by trying to take the trolley off her.
The altercation was recorded by a shopper.
Dimple Singh told 7News she saw the woman in the video shove a Woolworths employee to the ground.
“I saw that she had pushed the Woolworths lady down on the ground. She was on the ground, and this girl tried to flee with the entire trolley,” she said.
Ms Singh described the woman as “very aggressive” and “full of strength”.
“Two people couldn’t tackle her,” Ms Singh said.
“You’re breaking the law,” the employee replies.
The woman then tells the staff member to “let my f***ing trolley go”.
“To do something like that was not right, she could have harmed that other lady.”
Eventually, the woman let go of the trolley but snatched some nappies and tea towels before taking off.
But before she managed to flee the rooftop carpark she was intercepted by an off-duty police officer.
The woman was arrested and charged with assault and shoplifting.
The 26-year-old is set to face Parramatta Local Court on July 24.
A Woolworths spokesperson confirmed hat police were called over the incident.
“A security guard and an off duty police officer provided assistance to the team member before the police arrived,” the spokesperson said.
“We are currently supporting police with their investigations into the incident.”
It is not the store’s policy for team members to pursue customers suspected of theft. Staff are directed to report the incident to police and wait for assistance.
