A MOTHER jailed for stealing hundreds of pounds worth of perfume and makeup said she has a compulsion to shoplift.

Carlie Mills, aged 31, pleaded guilty to taking items worth £357.50 from Debenhams in Worcester's High Street.

Miguel Blanco, defending, said: “She was left alone and went into Debenhams and felt a compulsion to take items.

"She says she feels a compulsion to do this [shoplift], she feels worthless if she doesn’t do it.

“She has coped before by not going into town. It’s just an odd situation with regards to this lady."

Mr Blanco described Mills, who has a two-year-old son, as genuinely remorseful and said she needs to see her GP to receive psychiatric help.

The offence took place after her partner asked her to meet him in the town centre, the court heard.

Kerry Lovegrove, prosecuting, said: “She made a full admission to police. She said she went to look around [the shop] and had the urge to steal. She said she has OCD [obsessive compulsive disorder] which causes her to shoplift.”

Mills, a part-time cleaner, walked out of the shop with three fragrances, worth £336, and mascara, valued at £21.50, shortly after 2pm on September 10.

However, she was caught stealing the items on CCTV and was intercepted by a police officer.

She planned to keep some of the goods and potentially sell the others, the court heard.

Mrs Mary Child, chair of the magistrates bench, said: "While we feel sorry for you and your two-year-old child, your offending leaves us with no choice but to activate your suspended sentence order.

"If you genuinely have a medical illness which is causing you to act in this way I would urge you to speak to the prison. They can get you some help for this."

Mills, of Selborne Close, Brockworth, Gloucester, started weeping when she was jailed for 13 weeks by Worcester Magistrates Court yesterday.

She breached a nine-week suspended sentence, from June, for stealing £2,500 worth of goods.

The probation service said Mills had completed 53 of the 150 hours of unpaid work she was ordered to do as part of her last sentence.