A WOMAN stole food for her and her dog because she spent all of her money on heroin, a court heard on Thursday.

After being arrested, Darlington woman Lucy Francis Elizabeth Brack promised police she would give up stealing if she could get on a methadone programme.

At Newton Aycliffe Magistrates Court, the drug addict pleaded guilty to taking £20 of food from Aldi on North Road in March and £30 from Poundland in January.

Stephen Andrews, mitigating, said the 25-year-old had taken the food to provide for her and her dog while awaiting an appointment with a drugs service.

Mr Andrews said she was now on a methadone programme with the intention of giving up drugs completely.

He said: “With a methadone prescription in place, she is now more stable and has made a significant improvement as a result of no longer using heroin.

“Her long-term goal is to reduce the methadone until she is completely free of any dependency.

“At the time, what little money she had coming in was going out on heroin and she could not afford to feed herself or her dog.”

Magistrates made the “unusual step” of giving Brack, of Lansdowne Street, a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered her to pay compensation to Aldi and Poundland.