A heroin addict pushed a trolley load of booze worth more than £600 out of a Penrith supermarket without paying, notching up her 100th shoplifting offence.

Staff at the Booths store in Penrith caught 42-year-old Dawn Dakers after she brazenly returned to the supermarket six days later - and by chance was spotted by the loss adjuster who happened to be visiting.

At Carlisle's Rickergate court, Dakers admitted a single offence of theft.

Peter Kelly, prosecuting, said the defendant and a man had arrived at the Brunswick Road store on January 8, and crammed their trolleys with alcohol before simply pushing the goods out of the store and disappearing. The booze was never recovered.

On January 14, the pair appeared again at the store and were detained because they were recognised.

Dakers admitted being responsible for the theft of alcohol worth £654.

In a statement, a senior store manager said such thefts put pressure on staff, who had to sell goods worth £6.50 to make up for every pound that is lost as a result of thefts at one of the firm's stores. Staff also felt threatened by shoplifters, he said.

"Before these proceedings, the defendant had 99 theft related offences recorded against her, dating back to 1996," said Mr Kelly.

Mark Shepherd, for Dakers, said: "It is very sad, that at the age of 42, she has now accrued her 100th conviction for theft.

"What has this happened?

"She has factors relating to her personal life which many shoplifters have: there have been battles with class A drugs. She has problems with addiction to heroin."

Mr Shepherd said he had no wish to be political, but he pointed out that Dakers was depending financially on Universal Credit, and received just £190 every four weeks which, once her rent was paid, left her with £22.50 per week to live on.

"That might explain why she was so financially desperate at the time," said Mr Shepherd.

He also characterised the theft as anything but sophisticated, and pointed out that Dakers - of Scouter Road, Newcastle - had been banned from much of her home city. "Thus the purpose of that sentence was not fulfilled," said the lawyer.

"The problem has just been exported to Cumbria."

Magistrates noted the significant amount of alcohol stolen and the defendant's criminal past. They jailed Dakers for 16 weeks and told her to pay Booths £200 in compensation.

Dakers' co-defendant Razy Aminpour, 39, of Bolingbrook Street, Newcastle, admitted two thefts from Booths: one on October 26 last year when he took booze worth £742 from the store; and then a second one January 8 with Dakers when he stole alcohol worth £788.50. He too was jailed for 16 weeks.

Between them, the two defendants - who were dealt with separately - took alcohol worth more than £2,000.