A FORMER drug addict who has fallen into her old ways has pleaded guilty to a shop theft to fund her habit.

Maureen Marie Cullen stole £17.92 worth of goods belonging to Home Bargains in April this year.

The 43-year-old, of Snowdon Crescent, Bishop Auckland, admitted the charge when she appeared before magistrates sitting in Newton Aycliffe.

The court heard that mother-of-two had cleaned up her act but started using drugs again earlier this year.

John Garside, prosecuting, said £12.98 worth of goods had been recovered when Cullen was arrested.

In mitigation, John Clish said his client accepted that she was in breach of a suspended sentence for similar offences but urged magistrates to be lenient.

He said Cullen has been addicted to heroin when she was regularly committing similar offences about eight years ago and a recent stay in hospital following a car accident had resulted in her use of painkillers getting her back into using heroin.

Chair of the bench Louise Overton told Cullen she was imposing a 7pm-7am curfew for a four week period meaning she would be unable to go outside with her children during the summer holidays.

She was given a two-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months and ordered to pay £4.94 compensation and £115 victim surcharge also.