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A thief with a lifetime of convictions wept in court as she avoided jail for stealing from two elderly women - and then left the court laughing.

Linda Shields, who was once told by a judge had "made stealing her life’s work" targeted the women by "dipping" into their handbags.

The 56-year-old has left behind scores of victims during her career of petty crime to fund her addiction to crack cocaine and heroin, Liverpool Crown Court heard.

She was jailed for two years in 2017, but now another judge has now given Shields a final chance to mend her ways and tackle her long standing Class A drug habit.

The drug user, now living in a hostel in Liverpool city centre, turned up today with two huge bulging bags of belongings, expecting to be sent straight back to jail.

But, after hearing that she has not been given help since 2007 - which she did not take - Recorder Ben Douglas-Jones, QC, suspended a two year jail term for 18 months.

The court heard that she targeted a 69-year-old woman in the Tesco Old Swan on July 3 last year by stealing her handbag hanging from the back of her trolley as the pensioner was bending down to reach an item on a bottom shelf.

Shields had gone into the store in a wheelchair with a woman accomplice but had got out to walk around looking for victims, said Michael Stephenson, prosecuting.

Her suspicious behaviour was spotted by a security guard who detained her as she tried leave.

He retrieved the bag and called the police, but it was so long before anyone turned up, that he let her go.

On December 21, she struck again, this time targeting a 68-year-old woman in T J Hughes’ in Bootle’s New Strand, stealing her purse and a £50 exercise band from her handbag.

Shortly afterwards the victim’s bank card was used in two fraudulent transactions totalling £60.

(Image: lynda roughley)

It was heard how Shields, who pleaded guilty to two thefts, has 52 convictions for 131 offences.

Recorder Douglas-Jones, who pointed out that she had been on licence from prison while committing these latest two offences, told her: "You have tens if not scores of offences of stealing from people and you have several convictions for attempted theft.

“You admitted being specifically there ‘to dip’, to steal from someone, as you owed money, no doubt for your enduring and dual addiction to heroin and crack.”

The judge said that in her impact statement, one of the pensioners told how she had been left “shocked and shaken... the incident has left me feeling vulnerable.”

He said that the second victim, who had been doing her Christmas shopping, had to freeze her bank account until after the festive period.

She explained: "I had to borrow money from my sister to cover bills and buy my great grandson a Christmas present. Even now I’m still not back to normal with my finances.”

(Image: lynda roughley)

She said she had been having “a good day” with her daughter but had been left shaking and the stress of the incident landed her in hospital on December 30 until January 4.

She was diagnosed with respiratory problems and is now on steroids which have led to a two stone weight gain and has to attend a clinic twice a week.

The pensioner added: "I used to go out shopping and it would not bother me to go alone and use public transport.

"I will no longer go shopping alone, only with a family member and in taxis.

"The female involved not only took my purse she has also taken my health and I feel she undoubtedly should be punished.”

Recorder Douglas-Jones told Shields, who sat sobbing in her wheelchair, that she had “preyed on women who looked vulnerable... in the process you served to damage their confidence and trust in human nature.”

Charles Lander, defending, said that Shields had not been given any help since 2007 when she got a drug rehabilitation order, though she did breach it.

She suffers from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, asthma, hardening of the arteries and a broken back.

Shields, it was heard, is now on a methadone prescription and is getting help for her addictions.

She is also in remission from stomach cancer after six months chemotherapy.

Shields, who was handed a nine month drugs rehab requirement, was ordered to carry out 25 days rehabilitation activities and was ordered to keep to a three month curfew between 7pm and 7 am.

“I have given you your last chance,” the judge told her.