A Neyland woman who committed a series of thefts at four different stores over the space of a few days has been handed a community order.
Twenty-six-year-old, Hayley Natasha Talman of College Park was charged with five counts of theft when she appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
The defendant pleaded guilty to all five offences after she stole over a £100 worth of items in total from the Tesco store; the CK store; Home Bargains; and Food Warehouse in Milford Haven on February 15 and February 20.
Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told the court there was nothing much to add about the incidents, except for the fact that the defendant had been previously given a conditional discharge for shoplifting and drugs offences in June 2019.
Defence solicitor Jonathan Webb, told the court that his client accepted that she had a history of appearing in court, adding that her previous convictions for theft were an aggravating feature.
Mr. Webb said that Ms Talman’s benefits were sometimes late and as a result she struggled with finance, which also affected her mental health.
He explained that this led the defendant to go on a path of destruction and steal for reasons she does not know, in an act of financial desperation.
Probation officer Julie Norman told the court that the defendant was short of money and was unable to get hold of her support worker, so she decided to steal the items.
She said that Ms. Talman had issues with drug misuse and was due to be evicted from her property.
Magistrates handed the defendant a 12-month community order with 20 days of rehabilitation requirement.
She was also ordered to pay a total of £215 in fines and costs, and was further ordered to pay compensation for the items stolen.