A WOMAN who took her daughter shoplifting acted out of desperation after her flat was burnt down in the Devonport fire, a court heard.
A judge decided not to jail mother-of-three Janine Taylor for a spree of thefts after hearing of a string of setbacks in her life.
She faced prison after she admitted her latest offences put her in breach of suspended sentence for handling stolen goods.
Judge Ian Lawrie said: "A lot of this offending has come out of a sense of desperation."
Taylor, aged 33, went on her shoplifting spree after she lost everything in the fire which tore through 24 maisonettes in Clowance Street, Devonport, on June 3.
A 14-year-old boy has been charged with arson.
Taylor, now in temporary accommodation, admitted theft of 24 Fruit Shoot drinks and a packet of Sugar Puffs from Farm Foods on September 21.
She also pleaded guilty to theft of cosmetics from Superdrug in the city centre on October 26.
Taylor asked for eight other shoplifting offences to be taken into account.
The crime spree put her in breach of an eight-month prison term imposed in March last year but suspended for two years.
She admitted handling stolen goods as part of a huge shoplifting and drug supply network for which 24 people were convicted.
Nigel Hall, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said that Taylor took her 11-year-old daughter to Superdrug.
He added that they both ran off when the alarm was raised but Taylor was caught.
Taylor was on bail at the time for the theft from Farm Foods at Crownhill, where she was spotted driving away with stolen food and drink.
Kelly Scrivener, for Taylor, said the daughter knew nothing about the theft.
She said her husband had been sent to prison for sex offences.
She added that one of her sons had problems at school.
Miss Scrivener then said Taylor had "lost everything" in the Clowance Street fire.
Judge Lawrie ruled that it would be unjust to impose the suspended prison sentence.
He imposed a nominal £10 fine for the breach, and a 12-month community order for the thefts.
Taylor must work with the probation service for 30 days, pay £150 criminal courts charge and £60 victim surcharge.
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