A WOMAN was branded an ‘opportunist thief’ by a judge after she stole a bag containing large quantities of cash, flight tickets and ID documents which stopped a man returning to Italy.

Emma Hughes, 38, of Stonage Lane in Hazelbury Plucknett, Crewkerne, stole a bag containing several high value items worth £3,030 belonging to Giancarlo Troia, in a Yeovil pub on January 7 2015, Taunton Crown Court heard.

She was also caught in possession of a quantity of methylmethcathinone (class B) and a quantity of methoxetamine (class B) on the same date.

The court heard Italian Mr Troia was in the pub having breakfast and went outside for five minutes to smoke a cigarette, leaving his bag at his table.

Hughes, who was also in the pub, then took the bag, which contained £120 in cash, $2,400 in cash, flight tickets, a Samsung tablet and ID documents, the court was told.

Prosecuting, Simon Cooper told the court Mr Troia was due to leave for London and fly to Sicily that day.

He said: “Mr Troia returned inside the pub to find his bag had gone.

“He spoke with the manager who checked the CCTV and the police identified Emma Hughes.

“She said it wasn’t her and had an alibi, then changed her mind and said she handed the bag into the staff at the pub, but CCTV showed her leaving with the bag.”

The court heard how Mr Troia missed his flight and was upset by the incident.

“Mr Troia had to go to the Italian embassy in London as his identification details had been taken in the bag,” said Mr Cooper.

“High value items were in the stolen bag.”

On the day of the trial on November 26 2015, Hughes changed her plea to guilty.

Mitigating, Harry Ahuja said the theft was out of character for Hughes.

“It was a moment of stupidity and Hughes empathises with the victim,” he said.

“She didn’t appreciate the outcome of the situation in how much upset it subsequently caused Mr Troia.

“She is currently living in a mobile home and has five children.

“She has health issues, mobility problems and frequent hospital trips, and is on nearly 37 tablets a day including morphine.

“Hughes has assured me she won’t be back in this court.”

Hughes was sentenced to a community order, which consists of supervision and undertaking an accredited thinking skills programme, and is concurrent for the count of possessing cannabis.

Sentencing, Mr Recorder P Mott QC, said: “This was not pre planned and you were an opportunist thief.

“You caused upset for him and were also in possession of small amounts of a class B drug.”