The day Herne Bay mother-of-four Abigail May discovered her husband had cheated on her changed her life forever.

Until 2012, the secretary was in a good job, with a family and nice home - but then she was hit by a bombshell.

Then for the next four years her life “went into a tailspin” after she discovered her husband had left her for her sister-in-law and she ended up a thieving drug addict.

Her barrister Paul Hogben said: “Her life just spiralled out of control. Her marriage exploded and she lost her home, her job, her income, in fact, everything.”

Now May, 40, of Clarendon Street, has also now lost her liberty after she was caught burgling homes to get cash to feed a drugs habit.

May admitted two burglaries, one attempted burglary and being in breach of a suspended sentence. She was jailed for a total of three years and nine months.

Prosecutor Bridget Todd told Canterbury Crown Court how she was caught trying to break into a house near Sunnyhill Road, Herne Bay.

May was then seen trying the doors and windows of houses as the police were being given a running telephone commentary by one of the victims.

Ms Todd said she was arrested and claimed she was looking for her car, which a boyfriend had left nearby.

On May 27 this year at 5.25 am a woman returning to her home from a night out in Sherwood Road, Birchington, saw May coming out of her property carrying a bag.

“I hope this sentence acts as a strong deterrent to burglars, showing as it does that the courts take this type of offence extremely seriously..." - DC Adam Hinton

“The homeowner confronted May and there was a bit of a struggle,” she said.

“Fortunately the taxi in which the victim had returned home had a camera and police were able to recognise May.”

Ms Todd added that when police raided her home they discovered a Kindle stolen in another burglary in Sherwood Road.

The break-ins were committed in breach of another raid by May at the Ashford designer outlet, where she stole from a mother as she was buying food for her child.

Ms Todd said CCTV had recorded May taking a purse before later changing her jacket and putting on sunglasses as a disguise before leaving.

Mr Hogben told the judge: “She is a mother of four children aged between six and 20 and late in life she became addicted to drugs.

“She broke up with her husband because he had an affair with her brother’s wife and because she worked as her husband’s secretary she lost that job and became unemployed.”

The judge, Recorder Paul Taylor, told her: “It is a very sad picture of a woman in her 40s, married, children and normal way of life. Then it unravels after your husband left you and you went into a tailspin.”

Investigating officer DC Adam Hinton said after sentencing: “Burglary can have a lasting, detrimental impact on victims whose homes have been targeted.

“I hope this sentence acts as a strong deterrent to burglars, showing as it does that the courts take this type of offence extremely seriously.”