A notorious one-woman crimewave has been jailed again after frustrated probation teams admitted they could no longer help her.

Rhiannon Thomas, 36, has a long history of offending in Folkestone and Hythe, with more than 40 convictions for crimes ranging from shoplifting to attacks on members of the public and emergency workers.

In 2022, she was locked up following a shocking five-month spree that saw her terrorise a family, cause chaos at a skatepark, steal a wallet from a man in a wheelchair and try to kick a dog before punching its owner.

She was back in the dock on October 22 for a fresh series of incidents in Folkestone, during which she threw a man’s chips to the ground, slapped a woman’s bottom and attacked two police officers.

After hearing how she had failed to comply with a community order given to her for previous offences, Margate magistrates decided they had no choice but to send her to prison.

The court was told her latest run of offending began on August 5 when she stole a bottle of cider from a van in Folkestone.

The next day, she was seen “behaving erratically” in Sandgate Road and was believed to be under the influence of drugs.

Prosecutor Julie Farbrace said: “She approached a man and grabbed his chips, and threw them to the floor.

“She was then seen by a police officer going into Sainsbury’s, and she put a bottle of red wine in her bag, which cost £8.75.”

Thomas, of Langhorne Gardens, Folkestone, was arrested for being drunk and disorderly and theft.

Ms Farbrace added: “She was obstructive and was drinking the wine from a plastic cup as he was arresting her.

“She began lying on the floor with her legs in the air and then kicked out at a woman.

“She then grabbed another woman’s bottom, and it freaked her [victim] out.”

After being detained, Thomas was taken to hospital to be checked over, where she stamped on one officer’s feet and pushed another backwards.

Her behaviour continued the following month, and on September 29, she was seen “acting strangely” in Dover Road, Folkestone.

Ms Farbrace said it was about 6.40pm when a police officer driving a patrol car saw her run in front of his vehicle while pushing a baby’s pushchair, forcing him to brake.

There was no baby in the buggy, just her belongings and a bottle of vodka.

Despite being told to go home, she continued to run into the road and was arrested and charged with being drunk and disorderly.

Thomas twice failed to attend court hearings before being arrested again and brought before magistrates on October 22.

She admitted two counts of assaulting emergency workers, two counts of assault by beating, two counts of being drunk and disorderly, two counts of shoplifting, and two counts of failing to surrender to custody.

The court heard she was already in breach of two conditional discharges imposed earlier this year for more assaults on emergency workers and being drunk and disorderly.

She had also been subject to a community order, including an alcohol treatment programme, but had failed to comply with it.

Ian Bond, defending, said Thomas accepted she would be going back to prison.

He told the court: “She’s not engaged with the probation service, and she can’t be managed in the community.

“She’s been addicted to alcohol for some considerable time. She becomes homeless, then goes to jail and then is homeless again, and this leads to her offending, but for the last four months she’s been housed in a hotel.”

A probation officer confirmed Thomas had failed to engage with the alcohol treatment programme and continued to offend.

They told the bench: “Until she does, we can’t help; she’s got to help herself.”

Magistrates described Thomas as a prolific offender who showed little respect for the public or emergency workers, jailed her for 16 weeks for the latest offences.

They also revoked her existing community order and resentenced her for those matters, but imposed no separate penalty.

The chair of the bench told her: “You are 36, do you want to lead the rest of your life like this? Try to think about getting your life back on track.”