A woman with a series of aliases travelled over from England to go on a supermarket shoplifting spree, the High Court heard on Tuesday.
Sylvia Eastwood claimed she was told to target Sainsbury’s at Sprucefield, Lisburn by a man she met near a Dublin prison, prosecutors said.
Security tags were ripped off £500 worth of clothes and loaded into a trolly during the raid carried out by two women last week.
Eastwood, 30, of Cremorne Gardens, Epsom, Surrey, faces a charge of theft.
She has admitted the offence and is due to be sentenced next month, a judge was told.
The second suspect has not yet been caught.
During a failed bail application the court heard how police were called to the store on February 20.
Counsel for the prosecution said Eastwood told officers the two woman had gone to Sainsbury’s specifically to shoplift.
“She said she met a man near a prison in Dublin who asked her to do this,” the barrister said.
“She said he threatened her if she didn’t steal for him.”
It was claimed that Eastwood has used extensive aliases and different dates of birth in the past.
A defence lawyer accepted that any pressure put on his client was minimal.
He added, however, that her purpose for travelling to Ireland was to attend a funeral in Drogheda.
Bail was refused due to the risk of Eastwood not turning up for her next court appearance.
Mr Justice Horner said: “Whatever way you look at it, on her own admission she was taking part in a shoplifting spree in Sprucefield.
“She is unlikely to return for trial and I also conclude there is likely to be a risk of further offences which cannot be managed by conditions.”