“Flower lady” sentenced in stolen property case
Published 8:00 am Thursday, July 26, 2018
- Seven victims in a stolen property case awaited sentencing of the defendant, Bernadette Clark, on July 17. Pictured (l-r) Brenda Dill, Brooke Hill, Jackie Boyd, Beverly Mulvehill, Freida Galloway and Carolyn Pruett. Photo by U. Glidewell
It was quieter than a library in the Pell City Municipal Court on July 17. The room was filled with hushed whispering and only interrupted by the announcement of names on the docket as each person approached the bench to speak to the judge.
Seven victims lined the pew in the Municipal Court in Pell City City Hall awaiting the sentencing of a woman who had taken flowers from the graves of their loved ones.
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They found the flowers, and the alleged thief, who was arrested for attempting to sell the flowers in Pell City off of Hwy 231.
On April 5 the Pell City Police Department arrested Bernadette Clark, 62, of Lincoln, for Receiving Stolen Property fourth degree for being in possession of stolen floral arrangements that were taken throughout St. Clair, Talladega and Calhoun County.
On July 17, Clark plead guilty to seven counts of receiving stolen property 4th degree. Clark will serve 30 days in St. Clair County Jail, with a potential of 180 days. She will be on probation for 24 months and pay restitution to the victims as well as fines and court costs.
“If you commit an offense again in St. Clair County, I will not hesitate to revoke probation and you will serve the rest of the 150 days,” said Municipal Court Judge W. Van Davis.
Floral arrangements were found in the possession of Clark in Pell City on March 30, in the 800 block of Martin Street. Victims who reported the arrangements stolen identified them as their property.
“We need to make people aware of the fact that there are consequences in Pell City,” said Carolyn Pruett, who had flowers taken from family member’s gravesites. “We work hard for money to put flowers on graves and then they are gone. They don’t think about who they might have belonged to.”
The 30 day jail sentence has been deferred three weeks until Clark resolves some family matters. She is then to turn herself in at the St. Clair County Jail in Pell City to serve her sentence.
“Next time you see someone on the side of the road selling flowers, just think about where they might have come from,” said victim Beverly Mulvehill.
While the victims are receiving restitution for their flowers, they don’t all feel that they received justice in the case.
“I’ve had some flowers stolen recently around Father’s Day,” said Jackie Boyd. “We had them special made for my dad. We shouldn’t have to worry about them being stolen.”
“It’s sacred,” added Brenda Dill. “It’s invading privacy.”
