FEARING that she would be locked up after being caught stealing meat from a town supermarket a woman claimed she was called Missy Cooper in an attempt to evade security.

But police enquiries soon discovered that 28-year-old Charlene Wesley had provided false details. On Wednesday the Cleveland Road resident, formerly of Thames Avenue, appeared before magistrates sitting in Swindon where she pleaded guilty to a charge of theft and wilfully obstructing a police officer.

Crown prosecutor Pauline Lambert told the bench that Wesley had gone into Tesco on Ocotal Way on May 22. Security noticed that she was taking items from the shelves and putting them in a pushchair and her handbag. She went to the check-outs and paid for some items totalling around £6, but then left without paying for the concealed items.

When stopped she was found to have £112-worth of goods on her. Fearing she would be locked up she told security her name was Missy Cooper, and when police officers arrived at the scene they were unable to find anything on the police national database under that name.

They invited her for interview and advised her she would receive a caution. When she failed to attend for interview enquiries were made and her true identity discovered.

Her defence, Terence McCarthy told the magistrates that his client was in a very low place and was experiencing mental health problems. Wesley broke down in tears in the dock. "She gave false details because she was afraid of being locked up," he told the magistrates.

Wesley also admitted being in breach of a previous community order imposed last summer for a further charge of theft.

Sentencing her, chairman of the bench Lady Maria Pitt imposed a two week curfew for each offence, meaning she must be at her home address between the hours of 7pm and 7am for a total of four weeks. For breaching her order she must carry out an additional five days of rehabilitation with the probation service. She must also pay an £85 victim surcharge, but she made no order for costs.