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A shoplifter described as “a menace to the community” has been jailed after committing a string of thefts.
Rebecca Lee, who was previously locked up for tricking her way into the home of a 95-year-old widow and stealing £60 from her handbag, is now back behind bars after pilfering hundreds of pounds of goods from a Morrisons store on Sheppey.
The 43-year-old drug addict, who has almost 60 previous convictions, stole £686.85 of goods from the shop in Neats Court, Queenborough - sometimes nipping in more than once a day to loot items.
She was previously jailed in 2016 when she and another woman from Medway tricked their way into a frail pensioner’s home in Gillingham pretending to be from a charity and stole cash from her.
Lee, who then lived in Milton Regis, Sittingbourne, and the other woman, from Gillingham, admitted burglary and were both jailed for 27 months.
At the time, Judge Charles Macdonald QC said: “The two of you tricked your way into the home of a woman who had lived there for about 70 years.”
This month Lee, of no fixed address, admitted eight shoplifting offences which were committed over five days.
Medway Magistrates’ Court heard Lee started her theft campaign on January 6, when she went into the Morrisons store twice and stole £34 and £80 of goods. She then returned to the shop in the following days and stole more items.
Terry Knox, prosecuting, said: “A total of £686.85 of goods were stolen over a five day period from the Morrisons store. The items were not recovered.
“She has 59 previous convictions and in October she was jailed for four months for nine other shoplifting offences.”
Wayne Crowhurst, defending, said his client steals to feed her drug habit.
He added: “She knows what’s going to happen [that she’s going to prison].”
A probation officer told the court Lee was still on licence from her last jail sentence and that it doesn’t expire until May 18 this year.
The officer added: “She’s been put on recall and will serve 14 days for that. She’s a prolific shoplifter and a menace to the community.”
Magistrates said they had no option but to jail Lee and locked her up for six months for the new offences.
She was also ordered to pay £686.85 compensation which would be added to the fines account she already has with the courts.
It was not stated in court how much in total Lee owes on her fines account.