A shoplifter who stole thousands of pounds worth of stock from high street fashion stores has walked free after claiming jail would cost her the chance of moving into a new home.

Lauren Andrews, 34, looted perfumes worth £2,360 from Abercrombie and Fitch and leggings and T-shirts worth £1,000 from Victoria's Secret during thieving sprees at the Trafford Centre shopping mall near Manchester.

Police who arrested her discovered she had a 10 year history of shoplifting and had only been given a suspended prison sentence in May after stealing £8,000 worth of stock from White Company plus a handbag worth £1,480 from Burberry.

At Manchester magistrates court, Andrews, from Newton Heath, faced jail but she was given another suspended sentence after claiming she had gone shoplifting to fund her escape from an addict boyfriend and that she had been offered new accommodation.

She warned she would lose the property if she went to prison and said she was unlikely to re-offend as she was ''feeling emotionally better".

The latest thefts occurred in March and June after Andrews targeted stores at Trafford Centre with an unknown man.

Prosecutor Miss Martha Dowd said: “The victim in June is Victoria's Secret store in Trafford Centre on 7th June this year at 2.30pm, she entered along with another male and stole around £822 worth of stock comprised of several perfumes, leggings and t-shirts. At 7.30pm she re-entered the store and stole more goods to the value of £177.

“On the 8th March she entered Abercrombie and Fitch store in Trafford Centre and took 20 fragrances worth £2360. No attempts were made to pay, the defendant went unnoticed and they were not recovered.''

The court heard she had 26 previous offences on her record including 15 for theft dating back to 2009. In May she was give 18-weeks jail suspended for 12 months after a Christmas shoplifting spree in Manchester city centre.

A report by an unnamed Probation officer given to the hearing said: “She had accepted full responsibility for her behaviour. In March this year she was staying at a hotel to get away from her partner and this cost £50 per night, this offence was committed in part to fund her hotel stays.

''There was regular use of cocaine when in the company of her partner and they would shoplift to fund their habit. It does form an established pattern for her actions I’m aware that her partner there has likely been a level of prior influence and possible coercion.

“Cocaine does appear to have been a coping mechanism for trauma in her life – her mother died by suicide. While it is of some concern that she committed another offence in June it is relatively early into the suspended sentence.

''She has applied for her own accommodation and is due to sign for a new property next week, this is an excellent opportunity for a fresh start.

“Her presentation has vastly improved since distancing herself from her ex-partner and engaging with mental health services.

“Cocaine has been problematic for her and impacted her behaviour but she has reduced her use significantly and made an appointment with the drug service. Ms Andrew’s substance misuse has been impacted by her mental health, feeling emotionally better is likely to have an impact on whether she would reoffend.”

Andrews' lawyer Karl Benson: “She is a potential success story for a problem-solving programme but if she goes to custody today she will lose the new house that she is due to move into. It would be unjust in the public interest and undo all the positives. A community order is exceptional on this occasion – there is clear progress.”

Sentencing Andrews to 20 weeks custody suspended for a year JPs told Andrews: “The bench feels it would be unjust to activate the suspended sentence when we have heard from probation how well you are doing and how much progress has been made with the various agencies.''

Andrews was also ordered to pay compensation of £1180 to Abercrombie and Fitch and £500 to Victoria's Secret.

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