A SHOPLIFTER was back in the cells within hours of being bailed by a crown court judge – after pinching almost £60 of make-up from Boots.

Anna Burns made the fateful 750-yard walk from the court to the chain store chemist shortly after Judge Peter Crabtree said the 33-year-old had an appalling record of being released on bail and immediately going out to steal.

Burns hit national headlines last year after being banned from going to any shop in England except a single Swindon Tesco Metro.

The thief even had a spell in custody before Christmas when magistrates remanded her for an alleged shoplifting spree targeting Greggs, Caffé Nero, Lush and a Polish supermarket.

She was due to appear before Swindon Crown Court on Monday morning to be sentenced for two shop theft sprees in August and November.

Burns arrived four hours late, having been woken up by police officers who came searching at her Sheppard Street hostel.

John Upton, for Burns, said his pale-faced client was ill, having been released from custody before Christmas without the right medication. She had arranged to pick up a new prescription on Tuesday.

An unimpressed Judge Crabtree said he was inclined to sentence the shoplifter, telling the court: “Enough is enough.”

After her doctors’ surgery confirmed she was indeed due to pick up her prescription, Judge Crabtree agreed to consider bailing the woman.

But he remanded her in prison overnight and asked court staff to check that she had been released from custody without her medication.

The judge added: “Miss Burns has failed to attend on so many occasions I am starting to have a degree of scepticism.”

The following morning he granted Burns bail ahead of a sentencing hearing in early February.

Presciently, Judge Crabtree told the court: “Miss Burns has got an appalling record for attending courts and going out immediately committing offences.”

Burns was released after the 10am court hearing.

But she was in the cells on Wednesday morning across the road at Swindon Magistrates’ Court, where she pleaded guilty to stealing £58-worth of cosmetics from Boots.

Kate Prince, prosecuting, said Burns had gone to the town centre store at around 3pm and stolen the make-up items.

Measured by the Adver, the walk from Swindon Crown Court to the NHS walk-in centre and on to Boots is just short of 700 metres or 750 yards.

Burns was remanded in custody by the justices. She is next due before the magistrates’ court in early February.