Mum of toddler snatched in Primark by schoolgirls and taken 3 miles away 'was so distraught she banged her head on wall'

The mum had noticed the girls, aged 13 and 14, playing with her two-year-old daughter - but had thought they were just being 'sweet', a court heard

The mum of a toddler snatched from Primark by two schoolgirls banged her head on a wall in distress when she realised what had happened, a court heard today.

The woman had noticed the pair, aged 13 and 14, playing with her two-year-old daughter in a display at the store in Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, prosecutors said.

But she had not been suspicious, simply believing the teenagers were entertaining the little girl and were being 'quite sweet', Newcastle Crown Court heard.

However, after the kidnappers enticed her daughter away with sweets, the mum was so 'utterly distraught' she began banging her head on a wall, it was said.


The teenagers had skipped school and spent hours in the Primark store in Northumberland Street, allegedly waiting for a child to abduct on April 13 this year.

They had already approached two others, and had almost tricked the mother of one of them when they tried to lead her daughter away, the court heard.

They had engaged that child's mother by saying the little one was "beautiful" and asking whether she could speak, it was said.

Sarah Barlow, prosecuting, told the court the pair later grabbed another girl, and walked out of the store, leaving her mother devastated.

Miss Barlow said: "She was described by one witness as banging her head against a wall, she was so utterly distraught."

Mr Justice Globe, who was junior prosecution counsel in the trial of James Bulger's killers, was shown CCTV of the brightly lit shop and the girls approaching shoppers.

The Crown Prosecution Service has said this CCTV will not be released to the media.

Miss Barlow said the film demonstrated the two kidnappers were 'working together, quite co-ordinated' and showed 'a degree of planning or at least communication between the two'.

At times, the girls left the Primark store and briefly went into a Boots store.

They later admitted stealing a dummy, baby milk and a bottle.

The pair then returned to the clothes store and went to the children's section, where at around 4pm they began talking to their victim.

Miss Barlow said: "They offered her sweets. That's indicative of the level of planning, they had taken with them things likely to attract a child to them.

"They were playing with her.

"(The toddler) was running to and from the girls.


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