A serial thief who bit a supermarket security guard on the arm during one of her crime sprees has been locked up.

Toni Cooney, from Medway, filled a trolley up with £950 worth of clothes and groceries at the Asda store in Kings Hill.

She was challenged by a security guard when she made no attempt to pay before leaving the store.

He tried to stop her going any further with her full trolley and during the scuffle, she bit him on the arm.

Cooney, 29, who lives in Strood, admitted causing actual bodily harm to the worker on April 22 when she appeared before magistrates in Medway on January 18.

She also pleaded guilty to stealing £956.64 worth of goods from the store on the same day and to a charge of threatening behaviour in relation to an incident with another shop employee.

Terry Knox prosecuting to the court the security guard had to go to hospital for treatment after being bitten.

He added: "She loads the trolley and leaves the store with another man without paying.

"The security guard was alerted and goes to challenge her and holds on to the trolley, but she became aggressive and bit him and said she would stab him and a colleague who also went to help."

Mr Knox also told magistrates the security guard had written a victim impact statement which said the incident had now put him on edge while he was at work.

He's been left with a visible injury on his arm and said is now cautious when he approaches people in store.

All of the goods were recovered.

While in the dock, magistrates heard Cooney had admitted seven other shoplifting offences from the Wilko store in Strood on January 9.

The court head how she had stolen a range of cosmetics between November 11, 2021 and January 6, 2022 including, Nivea and Dove products, Loreal and Elnett hairspray, Sensodyne toothpaste and a staggering £401.50 worth of Head & Shoulders shampoo and conditioner. This was in the form of 70 bottles.

In total she stole £822 worth of goods from the Wilko store during the three month period.

She also admitted an attempted theft last time she was in the dock when she tried taking more than £280 of razor blades from Morrisons in Strood, on January 7 last year.

Magistrates heard Cooney has at least 116 previous convictions for theft.

Natalie Brown defending told the court Cooney had suffered a tragic and difficult childhood and had been in abusive relationships in the past, which she was now free from.

Ms Brown added: "She's had catalogue of partners who have been unkind to her and the last one had her under his control.

"She was told to do things, when to eat, when to sleep.

"The only option was for her to take (shoplifting) or be beaten up, he kept her on drugs."

She didn't have the courage to leave him and he kept her on drugs, but she did when she was put in custody (previously).

The bench also heard since breaking away from her former partner, she'd made progress and was trying to turn her life around.

Magistrates said they had no option but to give her an immediate custodial sentence.

They jailed Cooney for 48 weeks for all of the offences and ordered she pay the security guard £250 compensation.

She must also pay £822 back to the Wilko store.