Candice Alley, the singer and estranged wife of swimming star Grant Hackett, is under police investigation for allegedly shoplifting designer children's clothing from a posh Melbourne boutique.
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Alley has been going through a very public breakdown of her marriage to the former Olympian.
The investigation concerns designer frocks from two Melbourne Buckets and Spades for Kids stores.
The manager of one store, who asked not to be named, claims a woman took four items from the Brighton shop on June 30 and five items from the Port Melbourne shop on July 1.
The manager's husband reported the missing items to South Melbourne police on July 2. Among the items, valued at $700 in total, were "tops, tights and one red dress", the manager told The Sun-Herald.
"She was blonde and dressed very well," said the manager. "I hope they catch and expose her."
The store posted CCTV footage of the incident on its Facebook site and commented: "She was in Brighton on Saturday and Port Melb on Monday . . . she stole all the expensive DKNY and One Red Fly dresses."
A Victoria Police spokeswoman confirmed police were investigating the alleged incidents.
"On both occasions the items were not paid for. A description of the items stolen and value is not available at this time.
"The woman is described as being between 25 and 35 years old, long, blonde hair and wearing dark clothing," she said.
The Sun-Herald contacted Alley's manager this afternoon, but the manager did not respond to questions about the allegations.
Alley's lawyer Peter Royston told The Sun-Herald he had not been in contact with police but understood there was a police investigation into the shoplifting allegations.
"My client is under enormous pressure, she is not able to talk about the pressure or the causes of the pressure because of a court order.
"On the basis of the instructions I have, it is unlikely that she would be convicted of any offence," he said.
Alley, an aspiring pop star and mother of the couple's twins, has remained quiet since her April split from Hackett.
Hackett went on an alcohol-fuelled rampage after Derby Day last October, damaging the couple's luxury apartment.
The retired 32-year-old swimmer has denied an allegation in a police report that he threw Alley across the room.
He has also admitted to a past reliance on the prescription drug Stilnox.
