A THIEF who stole to feed her drug addition has been jailed.

York magistrates had given Tina Louise Pearson an 18-week suspended prison sentence in April for a three-and-a-half month shoplifting crime wave in Selby. Her offences included repeated visits to two Selby shops to steal Christmas lights and fragrances.

But a probation report revealed she had not attended probation service appointments, despite being provided with a train ticket for one appointment. She also had not started 20 days’ rehabilitative activities as ordered by the court, and the service sent her back to the magistrates to be resentenced.

Among her crimes were stealing 10 sets of Christmas lights on three excursions to Yorkshire Trading Company and three visits to Wilko’s to steal fragrances.

Pearson, 43, of Woodville Terrace, Selby, failed to attend court and was arrested on a warrant.

A second bench of magistrates made her serve the 18 weeks.

They told her she should have gone to prison in April but had been given a chance to engage with the probation service to rehabilitate herself. She had not done so.

The original suspended sentence had been imposed for stealing £120 worth of electrical toothbrushes from Wilko’s and for 13 offences of theft and one of bank card fraud for which she had previously received a community order.

For Pearson, James Fox-McGowan said she had difficulty getting to probation appointments because they were in York and she lived in Selby.

He added that she stole to feed her heroin addiction.