A woman who stole from two supermarkets to fund her £100-a-day heroine and crack cocaine habit has been jailed.
Julie Armitage created a foil-lined bag in a bid to get away with the bottle of spirits that she had aimed to sell on.
She asked Kirklees magistrates to send her to prison to help her get clean of her addiction, which started when she was just 15-years-old.
The 37-year-old, of Colbert Avenue in Batley, pleaded guilty to theft and possession of an article for use in the commission of a theft when she appeared at court in Huddersfield.
The court heard that she targeted Morrisons in Heckmondwike yesterday (June 20).
Armitage filled a shopping basket with three bottles of spirits and meat worth £150, went to the back of the store and then transferred them into a carrier bag before trying to leave.
She was detained by store staff and the goods were recovered.
When asked by police if she regretted the theft, she replied: “No, I’m on drugs and it’s something that I have to do to feed my habit.”
Magistrates heard details of another incident, this time at Asda in Morley on May 24.
Armitage and another woman pushed a trolley containing alcohol towards the till before abandoning it and heading towards the exit.
They were stopped by Police Community Support officers who discovered that they had fabric shopping bags lined with tin foil in them.
Alex Bozman, prosecuting, said: “Armitage said that they pre-planned stealing alcohol and believed that the foil-lined bags would stop the security tags from triggering the alarm system.”
Following her arrest for both offences, Armitage tested positive for the use of heroin and crack cocaine.
Mohammed Younis, mitigating, said: “She has been addicted to heroin and crack cocaine since the age of 15 and has a £100 a day habit.
“The thefts are committed for the purpose of funding that habit and the only time she’s been able to be clear of that habit is when she’s incarcerated in prison.
“She would like to use that time to become clean of drugs.”
Magistrates jailed Armitage for a total of 15 weeks and told her to pay £115 victim surcharge upon her release.
