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1. mens rea probably applies

2. But if you make a stab at shoplifting and you are successful and give back the item, did you break the law?

I am not a lawyer I am just asking.

> But if you make a stab at shoplifting and you are successful and give back the item, did you break the law?

Well, yeah?

The Theft Act 1968 defines theft as dishonest appropriation of “property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it” (and then waxes lyrical about what, exactly, that means: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1968/60/crossheading/de...). Just going by that law, I would say "it depends".

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