A TROUBLED mother-of-two who repeatedly flouted a suspended jail term — handed out for three raids on her parents’ home — is behind bars for two years.
Jennice Lynch, 20, went on an alcohol shoplifting spree in April and May, starting about a month after she was given 22 months in a young offenders’ institution, suspended for two years, with two years’ supervision.
She did it, according to her barrister, because she was homeless and wanted a roof over her head and three meals a day, but now things were looking up, Burnley Crown Court was told.
Lynch, who also failed to attend supervision appointments, was given a last chance to comply with probation by a different judge in May.
But, just weeks later, she stole a charity box from a takeaway in Haslingden.
Lynch, recently of Rock Street, Haslingden, had admitted six counts of theft in breach of the suspended term before magistrates.
Judge Jonathan Gibson activated 21 months of the suspended term and gave her three more months for the thefts.
The crown court was told the defendant stole cider, wine, lager, Malibu and vodka from four shops in Bacup between April 14 and May 4.
Ten days later, she was given a second chance to attend supervision appointments but, on June 10, she stole the charity box, containing cash for local mosques, from Chester’s takeaway.
In March, Lynch had walked free from court after three burglaries at the home of Ruth and John Lynch in Whitworth.
She targeted her parents even though they had tried to help her.
In a statement, Mr Lynch described his daughter as ‘uncaring and cold’ and said: “Most people would be ashamed of this behaviour, but not our daughter. It’s about time she got severely punished because she needs a wake-up call.”
Defending, Mark Friend said: “For the last couple of weeks, for the first time in many years, the defendant and her mother have begun to make the tentative first steps towards building bridges in their relationship.”
Judge Gibson said: “In effect you have really thrown back at me the opportunity I gave you.”
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