A SHOPLIFTER who stole alcohol worth hundreds of pounds has been ordered to pay it all back.

Abigail Rebecca Lee, 22, has also been banned for 12 months from the three shops she raided.

Lee, who gave an address in Spalding Avenue, Clifton, but who is currently sleeping at the Peasholme Centre, pleaded guilty to four charges of theft and one of failure to answer bail.

Melanie Ibbotson, prosecuting, said Lee stole 13 bottles, worth £324, from Waitrose on Foss Islands Road, on November 11.

Lee had already taken five bottles of vodka, together worth £97 on September 3, six bottles of alcohol worth £184 on September 8, and two bottles of alcohol worth £52 on September 11, all from Marks and Spencers on Pavement. On November 14, she stole chocolates worth £51.50 from Co-op’s branch on Paragon Street.

She was identified for most of the offences from CCTV. On September 11, Lee was stopped by security staff as she was leaving the shop. They reclaimed two bottles but she still got away with two other bottles. During some of the thefts she was subject to a community order imposed for other offences.

Lee received a 12-month community order with supervision, was banned from M&S, Waitrose and the Co-op branch for a year, ordered to do 30 days’ rehabilitative activities and put under a nightly curfew from 8pm to 7am for 12 weeks. She must also pay £708.50 compensation.

For her, Craig Robertson said she had had a very difficult childhood that led to social services moving her to York. She had a drug habit and in September was not getting a prescription to control her drug craving. She had stolen the alcohol partly for herself and partly to sell for funds for more drugs.

She was on a college course, hoping to rebuild her life.