A KLEPTOMANIAC has been ordered to carry out unpaid work after she let her condition get the better of her in Claire’s Accessories.

When Sarah Scott, of Lethbridge Road, came before magistrates sitting in Swindon she admitted one charge of theft.

Nick Barr, prosecuting, said Scott had gone into the store at 1pm on July 28 with another woman and made off with a number of items, including a black bag.

Mr Barr said at the time of the incident one of the staff members who had recently loaded the racks with stock had gone to help a colleague who was carrying out a piercing.

When she returned to the rear of the store she noticed gaps on the shop wall, and saw that a black bag had gone.

Mr Barr said this was significant as the staff member had planned to buy the bag herself.

She reviewed CCTV to see where the stock had gone and saw 31-year-old Scott leaving the store with the items without paying for them.

When Scott was arrested by police after being identified from the CCTV footage she refused to comment.

Wayne Hardy, defending, told the court that Scott had an unenviable record of which she was not proud.

“Miss Scott is not in use of drink or drugs, neither has she ever had an issue with either,” she said.

“She has been diagnosed with kleptomania [an urge to steal items that are not essential] since the age of 13 and simply hasn’t been able to stop.

“It is not an excuse, but it puts her behaviour in context.”

The court heard she was already serving a community order for previous matters, and had completed 41 hours of her 60-hour order.

She had also served time behind bars in October of last year for her offending and currently owed the court £1,506.59 in fines.

Ms Thacker said her client had recently met a new partner who was not happy with her behaviour and was trying to help.

Sentencing her, the chairman of the bench, Jonathan Chappell, said the bench was keen to see her continue her good work with the Probation Service in a bid to combat her issues.

He imposed a new, 12-month community order with an extra 100 hours of unpaid work, which will begin upon completion of her remaining 19 hours.

She must also pay £60 compensation to Claire’s Accessories, but the bench made no order for the payment of a victim surcharge or other costs.