A woman who stole more than £500 worth of alcohol from Waitrose claimed she was desperate for cash because she was on sick leave.

Habiba Bentchakal, who had twice been spared punishment for previous shoplifting offences, swiped the booze during three separate raids at the high-end retailer’s Canterbury store.

The 36-year-old told magistrates she had been forced to turn to crime as a long-term illness had left her off work at Domino’s Pizza and without any money.

Defence lawyers pleaded Bentchakal’s case as she appeared in the dock in Folkestone last Wednesday and admitted three counts of shoplifting.

Solicitor Emma Wright, who said her client does not drink, told the bench: “She took [the alcohol bottles] to sell them to earn some money.

“Someone suggested to her it was a way of making money while she was off work, as she was sick and had a number of bills to pay, so she took up the suggestion.

“She has lost eight kilos, she can’t keep anything down and has halobacteria in her stomach which is being investigated, and she is still not well.

“She ate an apple this morning and while we were talking that made a reappearance.”

The court was told Bentchakal first stole from the St George’s Place store on October 19 last year, leaving with £190.50 worth of alcohol concealed in bags.

Three days later she returned and fled with a haul worth £241.50, and the following day was back again to snatch more spoils totalling £117.

She came unstuck after being spotted on CCTV following one of the raids leaving in a Mercedes she was insured to drive.

Neil Sweeney, prosecuting, told the bench Bentchakal had been given a caution for shoplifting in 2017, and later the same year committed a similar offence and found herself in the dock.

However, she was again spared punishment, leaving the court with a 12-month conditional discharge.

But magistrates this month were not as lenient, telling Bentchakal her financial and personal difficulties gave her no right to steal.

They ordered her to pay Waitrose £549 compensation for the stolen alcohol, which was never recovered.

She must also attend 25 rehabilitation sessions with probation as part of a 12-month community order.

Bentchakal, whose 14-hour contract at Domino’s is supplemented by Universal Credit, agreed to pay the money back at £20 a month.