A heroin addict of 10 years who had never been in trouble with the law until she appeared in court last month has been back in the dock.

Hayley Kennedy said being caught shoplifting from the Morrisons store on the Isle of Sheppey in May had helped her on the road to recovery as she had managed to get help to kick her habit.

At the time, the court heard that despite being on the Class A drug for a decade, Kennedy had never come to the attention of police until she stole items including baby clothes and washing detergent from the store at Neats Court, Queenborough.

The 40-year-old had put some clothes over her arm and tried to leave, but was stopped by a staff member who tried to get the items back from her. In the struggle that broke out Kennedy was said to have tugged at the shopworker’s arm.

District Judge William Nelson heard Kennedy, of Boxley Close, Sheerness, had been addicted to drugs for 10 years or more, but after being arrested, because she was an addict, she was given a drug test which led to a drug referral and she was now on a methadone script and has not touched illicit drugs since then.

Judge Nelson commented at the time, that it was unusual for an addict not to have come to the attention of the courts before because they usually have to resort to crime to fund their habit and he placed her on a 12-month conditional discharge.

However, he reminded her if she committed another offence in that period, she would be hauled back before the court and punished over the offence, as well as any other she had committed.

He also ordered her to pay Morrisons £10 compensation as well as £85 court costs.

However, on July 31, Kennedy found herself appearing in the dock after being charged with another shoplifting offence which she pleaded guilty to.

Deputy District Judge Claire Luxford was told Kennedy had stolen strawberries, bread and French sticks valued at £15 from the Co-op store in Aspen Drive, Sheerness, on June 5.

Neil Sweeney prosecuting, said: “She may no attempt to pay and was identified via CCTV and invited for a voluntary interview on June 12 and made full and frank admissions and said she had a drug habit.

“She was given a conditional discharge for 12 months in June for another shoplifting offence, but police should have put both offences together so they could be dealt with together, so perhaps a compensation order would be appropriate as she has the conditional discharge in force.

“That’s what would have happened if both matters had been before the courts on June 25.”

Judge Luxford heard Kennedy had been previously been in an abusive relationship and suffered from PTSD and ADHD and was still on the methadone programme with the Forward Trust.

She told Kennedy she was ordering her to pay £15 compensation to the Co-op for the goods she stole, but that she would not be punished further because both cases should have been dealt with at the hearing on June 25 and the sentence would have been no different had they been dealt with together then.

At the previous hearing, Robert Weston, defending Kennedy, had told the court: “She was in a violent relationship, but has not escaped that and after being arrested, because she was an addict, she was given a drug test and that led to a drug referral and she is now on a methadone script and has not touched illicit drugs since.”