by Paul Hooper

A Canterbury mum is fighting her heroin addiction in a bid to keep her young child at home.

Colleen Scaresbrook, 32, was nabbed stealing £270 of goods from an Asda store – while collecting a drugs prescription.

That was committed while she was under a suspended jail sentence for her part in a counterfeiting scam.

Her barrister Philip Rowley told Canterbury Crown Court: "She is an historic drugs user, but since she has sought help with her addiction there has been a change in her behaviour."

He said her motivation related to her son and the fear of losing him.

Two years ago Scaresbrook, of Tennyson Avenue, had been part of a six-strong counterfeiting gang involved in producing fake £20 and £50 notes.

He said that while awaiting sentence for the counterfeiting charge her child had been placed into care – but not returned at the end of the case.

"That came as a bitter blow to her and by April this year she was at low ebb when she went shoplifting," he said.

"But what has pulled her up by her bootstraps is being told that active consideration was being given to a full care order.

"Now she is motivated to do everything about her lifestyle because of the fear of losing her son."

Mr Rowley added that a few days ago the child was returned to his mother's care, but faced being taken away again if Scaresbrook was jailed.

Instead, the judge Recorder Martin Oldham gave her an 18-month community order – and did not activate the jail sentence.

"she is motivated to do everything about her lifestyle because of the fear of losing her son…” – philip rowley

He told her: "I am giving you a chance... I hope you will take it."

The court heard how Scaresbrook and another woman had gone to the store in April, loaded a trolley with meat and other products and left without paying.

She was stopped by the pharmacist while trying to collect a legal prescription for a heroin substitute.

Scaresbrook had admitted the shoplifting offence, which had been carried out while she was subject to a 10-month suspended jail sentence.

The Old Bailey had been told in December 2011 how she had been recruited by Anthony Higgs, 54, who began setting up the scam just weeks after being released from a five-year prison sentence for printing £1 million of counterfeit cash.

Police smashed the fraud after the dodgy £20 and £50 notes, which even featured foil strips like genuine currency, were passed to experts at the Bank of England.

Scaresbrook, who was then living in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, had admitted conspiracy to possess articles for use in the production of counterfeit currency.