A stunned Winona Ryder was convicted of shoplifting last night.
A jury took six hours to decide the Hollywood star went on a shoplifting spree 'for the sheer thrill of it'.
Dressed in a knee-length coat, the 31-year-old actress looked pale and tearful as she was convicted of grand theft and vandalism.
She was cleared of one count of burglary - going into the store intending to commit a crime.
Superior Court Judge Elden Fox released Ryder on £14,000 bail until her sentencing on December 6.
Although the maximum sentence on both guilty charges is three years in prison, prosecutors said last night the actress is more likely to be sentenced to probation with a term of community service.
She will also have to pay Saks Fifth Avenue store in Beverly Hills for the £3,600 of designer goods she stole from them.
In her closing argument, prosecutor Ann Rundle recalled the opening scene in the film Girl, Interrupted in which Ryder's character describes how she gets her kicks by shoplifting.
Unlike the fragile mental patient she portrayed on the screen, however, Ryder was caught redhanded stealing armfuls of clothes, hats and bags.
'It could be that Miss Ryder stole for the sheer thrill of trying to get away with it,' Rundle told the Beverly Hills court.
The actress - who earns £ 6million a film - had denied all the allegations-Her lawyers pinned her defence on a theory that she was a victim of over-zealous security guards who hatched a plot to frame her.
But it emerged last night that a key piece of evidence was withheld from the jury by Judge Elden Fox.
Less than an hour after being seized by security guards on December 12 last year, Ryder signed a full confession listing the stolen goods.
However, the judge ruled the jury should not see the confession because Ryder claimed it was made 'under duress'.
Ryder did not take the stand to defend herself. But throughout the eight-day trial, she behaved like an actress playing a part. She was animated and appeared to be almost enjoying the process. As prosecution witnesses gave their damning eyewitness evidence, she looked bewildered and incredulous.
At other times she joked and chatted with lawyers and court staff.
In contrast to her previous glamorous appearances, she arrived for yesterday's verdict with very little make-up and her hair brushed back behind a black headband. Her father, brother and top Hollywood agent Ed Limato were in the public gallery.
Earlier, the court heard how Ryder went with a 'burglary tool kit' to the store and even used scissors to cut off security sensor tags before stuffing the goods into her carrier bags. She paid for four items as 'a ruse' to steal 20 more.
A 19-minute security video caught the actress in the act of hiding the stolen merchandise.
Her conviction is the latest incident in a life that has rarely lacked drama.
The goddaughter of controversial LSD guru Timothy Leary, she had been arrested for stealing as a child.
'The police brought me home and my parents tried to beat them up,' she said in 1997. At 18, she was famous for her relationship with actor Johnny Depp, who had Winona Forever tattooed on his arm.
At 20, she checked herself into a psychiatric hospital for a few days for depression and anxiety after her breakthrough film, Heathers.
She went on to become as famous for her relationships with stars such as Matt Damon and David Duchovny as for her Oscarnominated appearances in The Age of Innocence and Little Women.
Her career is certain to be affected by the scandal, with film studios having to pay higher insurance fees to hire her because of her criminal record.
One member of the jury who convicted her was former Sony film studios boss Peter Guber, who had previously made three movies starring Ryder.
Outside court, prosecutor Miss Rundle said: 'We have never asked for jail time for Miss Ryder and we are not intending to ask for jail time. We are simply asking Winona Ryder to take responsibility for her conduct.
'We are dealing with a probable probation sentence with some community service and, of course, restitution to Saks.'
She added: 'I found Winona Ryder to be a very nice individual, but this was not about her character, only her conduct.'
Ryder left the court surrounded by lawyers and friends and sped off in a Porsche driven by her lawyer Mark Geragos.
'I cannot say anything right now,' she said.
Thank goodness for shoddy housekeeping!
new t-shirts,bathing suits,etc. I called a couple of times,once right from the airport a short time later,everything had magically disappeared. sigh. didn't do it on purpose, I learned to check very carefully.
Never got those two items back.
It was a thin blanket perfect for travel but I could have been easily replaced except that it did have sentimental value.
