A HEROIN addict and prolific shoplifter avoided jail after her solicitor argued she would have more access to drugs in prison than on the outside.

Swindon Magistrates were also told her child had warned her he would never forgive her if she was jailed again.

Angela Money was in the dock at Swindon Magistrates Court where she admitted five charges of theft and another of criminal damage.

Money, 29, who has been using the class A drug since she was 15, was on licence from a prison sentence imposed in January when she committed three of the thefts.

Urging the bench to allow Money to continue being helped by her offender manager rather than sentencing her to another term inside, her barrister Alex Daymond accepted she had a horrendous list of previous convictions.

But he said: “There must be a serious question mark as to what would happen to her in a custodial setting in terms of her drug use, because it is available.”

Prosecutor Pauline Lambert said Money was spotted picking up aftershaves valued at £71 in the Brunel Plaza branch of Boots on November 24. She was detained by security staff outside after leaving without paying and when CCTV was checked later and earlier theft of almost £100-worth of aftershave was discovered.

On March 17 she stole a bottle of alcohol from the Co-op but handed it back when challenged. Four days later she took £60 of meat from Aldi.

And on April 6 she took four bottles alcohol from the Co-op and put them in a bag. Confronted by a member of staff she gave back three of them and left the store with one.

Money also admitted damaging a communal door at flats in Messenger Walk where she was living on March 29.

Neighbours complained of being woken by noise at 5am and again by banging and shouting at 6.30am. CCTV showed her kicking the door.

Mr Daymond explained: “Quite simply she steals in order to fund her habit because her lifestyle is so chaotic she dips in and out of the benefit system. This is a vulnerable woman who is open to exploitation because of her drug habit.”

Money was currently on a methadone prescription and recognised she had a problem, but found it difficult to break the drug cycle. “It is a very powerful drug and it has a grip on her that she has not been able to overcome.”

He said she had been given a community order with drug rehabilitation on December 29 but was back in court within days, which meant the course did not get off the ground. She was also now homeless because of her antisocial behaviour.

But he added she was staying at her father’s address in West Swindon where she had visits from her son.

She explained he had gone to live with relatives at the age of five when she was sent to jail.

“He knows what’s happening now. He visited me in prison,” she said tearfully. “He said he wouldn’t forgive me if I went back to prison.”

The bench imposed a 12-month conditional discharge. “We don’t want to do this but we think it is the best, the only way forward,” said chairman Michael New.