Grandmother, 45, who stole John Lewis pram with child in it is jailed

A prolific shoplifting grandmother who ripped the price tag off a John Lewis pushchair before brazenly placing a child inside the pram and wheeling it out the store has been jailed following her latest crime spree.

Amanda Cunningham, 45, of Bilborough, Nottingham, has appeared in court more than 60 times for over 300 offences.    

In more recent months,  Nottingham Crown Court heard how Cunningham targeted several shops and supermarkets, one of which she had been banned from entering earlier this year and racked up £3,000 of stolen goods.

The career shoplifter would use her know-how to bypass shops' electronic security systems and wheel out trolleys full of alcohol to sell to pay for drugs.

Katrina Wilson, prosecuting, said Cunningham was handed a suspended sentence in January and a criminal behaviour order banning her from entering Tesco stores. 

She said that by May however the defendant was back to stealing.

The prosecutor said: 'On May 6, she entered Sainsbury's in Ripley and made threats to assault the manager there. 

'That woman said she later felt scared to walk home in case she came across the defendant.

'The defendant's MO (modus operandi) was to walk into the stores, bypass the security systems and wheel out the trollies loaded with bottles of alcohol.'

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Miss Wilson said Cunningham did this at the Sainsbury's in Ripley, Tesco in Mansfield and John Lewis in Nottingham city centre with the toddler.

She said: 'The total value was more than £3,000 and the defendant was arrested on June 28 hiding in a cupboard at her address at that time.'

The defendant, of Darnhall Crescent, pleaded guilty to eight shop thefts, one attempted shop theft, common assault and breaching both her criminal behaviour order and her suspended sentence order.

Clarkson Baptiste, her barrister, said his client 'realises she is running out of options and the court is too'. 

He said: 'She wishes to make better of her life and holds out the hope of rehabilitation.'

Judge Steven Coupland said: 'Your life has been marred for many years with an addiction to drugs and no doubt many of the offences on your appalling record come from funding that addiction. 

'You were given a chance in January with a suspended sentence and it is a great pity you were not able to take that opportunity.

'Your spree of thefts and attempted thefts totalled more than £3,000 and we are now at the stage, I am afraid, where the court cannot give you any more chances. 

'You deliberately targeted stores and products, there was planning and these were sophisticated offences.'

Cunningham was jailed for two years and three months.