A British millionaire’s daughter accused of looting £6 000 worth of electrical goods, alcohol and cigarettes during the riots is to go on trial at a Crown court.
Former grammar school girl Laura Johnson, 19, faces three charges of theft and two of intention to steal after the haul was found in a Smart car allegedly driven by her.
Her bail conditions stipulate that she must wear an electronic tag and spend each night at her parents’ large detached farmhouse in Orpington, Kent.
She must also observe a curfew between 7pm and 6am, and is not allowed to enter London except to visit her lawyers and attend court.
Appearing at Camberwell Green Magistrates’ Court yesterday, supported by her mother, Lindsay, Johnson looked composed as her case was sent to Inner London Crown Court, which has greater sentencing powers. She will appear there on October 5.
Her solicitor, Michael Freeman, confirmed that she was currently unable to return to Exeter University, where she is studying English and Italian.
She is accused with Alexander Elliot-Joahill, 18, and a 17-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons of stealing £5 000 worth of electrical goods from Currys, £500 worth of items from Comet and £500 worth of alcohol and cigarettes from a BP petrol station, all in Woolwich, south-east London.
The other two charges relate to attempts to burgle a nearby Halfords and PC World.
Last month at her bail hearing, Johnson denied all five charges.
Her parents run Avongate, a direct marketing company, from their home and her father, Robert, is a director of several companies. At a separate court hearing yesterday, a shamed Olympics youth ambassador pleaded guilty to a string of offences over two nights of rioting in Enfield and Hackney.
Appearing at Wood Green Crown Court, Chelsea Ives, 18, of Leytonstone, admitted criminal damage, burglary with intent to steal and violent disorder.
Her appalled mother, Adrienne, who was in court yesterday, handed her in to police after she saw footage of her daughter throwing rocks at a police car on TV. - Daily Mail