Supermarket thief racially abused security guard when she was caught stealing from Leeds Morrisons store

Paula Adair was subject to a suspended sentence when she tried to steal from Morrisons on Harehills Lane in Harehills, Leeds.

Leeds Crown Court heard Adair went into the store on September 1, 2018, put two bags of detergent in her bag and tried to leave.

Pater Yates, prosecuting, said a security guard apprehended her and recovered the items.

Adair, of Brownhill Avenue, Harehills, Leeds, became aggressive and shouted racial abuse.

She was arrested and claimed the victim had assaulted her.

In a statement, the victim said: He added: "I have suffered racist abuse before but I shouldn't have to take it."

Adair also stole from a Heron Foods store in Leeds on August 16, 2018 and stole £30 worth of meat from a Fultons Foods store in Leeds on September 22, 2018.

The 44-year-old pleaded guilty to three counts of theft from a shop, one count of racially aggravated harassment, one count of failing to surrender and one count of breaching a suspended sentence.

She was jailed for 16 months.

She has 56 previous convictions for 79 offences, including 30 thefts and 19 breaches of community orders.

Jemima Stephenson, mitigating, said her client suffers from epilepsy, schizophrenia and multiple personality disorder and was also taking a methadone prescription at the time.