A WOMAN has been sent to prison “to get a clean slate” after she admitted she could not cope with the requirements of all her community orders.

Gemma Peach, of Little Hill, Droitwich, appeared at Worcester Magistrates Court charged with stealing two bottles of vodka.

Lisa Mayne, prosecuting, said the ex-heroin addict had stolen the vodka – valued at £17.98 – from Aldi, Kidderminster Road, Droitwich, on the afternoon of April 21.

The manager saw Peach, aged 23, conceal the alcohol in her coat and in a bag before trying to leave the store. He confronted her, and eventually she let him look inside the carrier bag – at which point police were called, and Peach was arrested.

She pleaded guilty – which put her in breach of a deferred sentence as well as a conditional discharge.

Peach had been given a deferred sentence for slapping Siti Hassan across the face during a train journey between Droitwich and Worcester on February 10.

She pleaded guilty to the charge – as well as to stealing two hoodies from JJB Sports, Worcester, on February 12 – when she appeared before magistrates on April 13.

The conditional discharge was for two thefts from the Spar, Blake Avenue, Droitwich, in which Peach took £126.96 of chocolate, meat products and alcohol.

The case comes just a week after she arrived at the probation service to tell them she could no longer keep up with all the requirements the courts had set out for her.

Paul Stanley said in mitigation: “She was somebody who was given a number of conditions attached to her sentences.

“In a way she did co-operate by telling them she could not cope. She has no breaches of her orders but is struggling.”

Mr Stanley said his client had replaced heroin with methadone, but had redirected her addiction to alcohol which meant her life was still out of control.

The magistrates sentenced Peach to a total of 20 weeks in prison for all her offences, including community orders from last year.

Chairman of the bench Lynne Brown said: “You seem unwilling or unable to comply with community orders, so this way, you will have basically a clean slate when you leave prison.

“Hopefully, while you are there you can deal with your problems.”