Mother who lied about Primark security guard grabbing her baby while breastfeeding avoids jail 'by a whisker'

Sentenced: Caroline Starmer was given an eight month prison sentence, suspended for two years
PA
Laura Proto3 December 2015

A mother who lied about a Primark security guard prizing her baby from her while breastfeeding has been spared jail.

Caroline Starmer, 28, claimed in a Facebook post to a group called Free to Feed that she was breastfeeding her then nine-month-old daughter in the clothing store in Humberstone Gate in Leicester on July 13 when the incident unfolded.

The post read: “My 9.5 month old daughter started crying, needing a feed and the queues were pretty long, so to save my daughter the upset, and the other customers too, I decided to find a quiet spot out the way of others and feed her discreetly.

"Within five minutes of doing so, I was approached by a security guard who asked me to vacate the premises to feed my daughter.

"I stood my ground and stated my rights, that I can legally feed where I want.. Just for the security officer to physically remove my daughter from my breast and walk down the store with her, saying if I wanted my daughter, then I was to come and get her.

"My confidence is shot, and my poor daughter hasn't been herself all afternoon."

Primark reviewed its CCTV footage from the store and spoke to the staff that had been on duty at the time of the alleged incident and no evidence was found of Starmer being approached.

Starmer, of Marshall Street, Leicester, was later charged with perverting the course of justice and admitted the charge at Leicester Crown Court on September 24.

She was today sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years.

Sentencing, Judge Simon Hammond said: “She has done a gross disservice to the many mothers who are breastfeeding and rely on shops and other public facilities to allow them to breastfeed their babies in privacy and dignity.

“By a whisker, you have avoided going to prison today.

“This is a very serious case of perverting the course of justice. What the defendant did was carefully planned and orchestrated for financial gain.”

Prosecutor Tina Dempster previously told the court Starmer’s story was shared thousands of times on Facebook and featured in news bulletins around the world, including in Japan and New Zealand.

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