A THIEF went on a shoplifting spree when she was released partway through a prison sentence for shoplifting, York Magistrates Court, heard.

Karma Louise Brown, 25, admitted four charges of theft committed between December 18 and February 16 and was banned for 12 months from going into the all the shops involved.

The court heard she had only just been released from a sentence imposed in September for shoplifting and breaching a suspended prison sentence imposed for shoplifting.

For her, Andrew Craven said the Parole Board had ordered her back to prison to finish off the September sentence, but since her re-release she had been trying to go straight.

“She sees this is her chance to try and pull free of the problems she has got herself into,” he said.

Brown, of no fixed address, has been on post-sentence supervision by probation officers since her latest release from prison on March 12.

District judge Adrian Lower gave her a 12-month ban from the three shops she targeted in her latest series of thefts. He also ordered her to pay £75 compensation and £85 prosecution costs.

Simon Ostler, prosecuting, said Brown got away with meat to an unknown value from Co-op’s Tang Hall Lane store on January 14, five washing liquid units on January 4 from Co-op’s store on York Road, Acomb, and air fresheners worth £35 from Savers in Acomb.

But when she stole beef worth £18.36 from Aldi’s Water Lane store, she was spotted and stopped. The other thefts were captured on CCTV.

The only goods recovered was the beef she stole from Aldi.