by Thom Morris

Gravesend thief Michelle Roberts has been sentenced to 180 days in jail after she stole a purse worth £11.

Roberts, previously hit the headlines in June after taking cash from six shops, pubs and cafes by pretending she was a collector from either Demelza Hospice, Kent Association for the Blind or EllenorLions Hospice.

Today, the 43-year-old appeared before magistrates at Medway having failed to appear at two previous hearings, the most recent on Tuesday where a dodgy kebab had left her unwell.

When she appeared via a video link after a warrant was put out for her arrest, magistrates heard how on August 5 she helped herself to a purse containing £20 from an 89-year-old woman.

She admitted the offence.

In a black and white stripy dress, Roberts appeared shocked when magistrates jailed her for 180 days – 60 days running concurrently for stealing the purse and 180 days which were suspended when she was sentenced for fraud.

See Thursday’s Messenger for the full story.