A WOMAN caught shoplifting told a member of staff that if she came near her she would stab her.

Blackburn magistrates heard the offences were committed just two days after Rebecca Louise Waldron had been made subject to a suspended prison sentence.

And she went on to commit three more shop thefts and assault a member of staff before she was arrested again.

Waldron, 29, of Birch Street, Bacup, pleaded guilty to two charges of stealing from the Co-op, theft from Boots and the One Stop Shop, using threatening behaviour and assaulting Kirstie Holder. She was jailed for eight weeks for breaching the suspended sentence and a further 12 weeks for the latest offences.

Parveen Akhtar, prosecuting, said when Waldron was given a suspended sentence on March 8 she would have been told that if she committed any further offences the sentence would be activated.

"Despite that, two days later she was stealing from the Co-op and when she was challenged by a member of staff said she would stab her if she came near," said Miss Akhtar. "She didn't have a knife but the comment would have been distressing."

When she was challenged by a member of staff in Boots Waldron pushed her.

Phil Turner, defending, said his client denied threatening to stab the shop assistant but accepted she used abusive language.

"As so often happens, since these offences were committed she has managed to obtain her own tenancy, housing benefits are in place and she is due to receive universal credit," said Mr Turner. "She had an appointment with Inspire today and she was due to receive help with her problems with alcohol and drugs."