A MUM-OF-10 who let two burglars store a TV and trainers they had stolen from her neighbour has been spared jail.

Preston Crown Court heard how 47-year-old Martin David Haggan and a second unidentified man were caught on CCTV removing the 43-inch LG TV, three pairs of Adidas Gazelle trainers and six T-shirts from Nicholas Livesey's flat in France Street, Blackburn, in November 17, 2017.

Prosecuting, Colette Renton said the men took the items to a flat belonging to 42-year-old Sinead Claire Heaton in the same building.

Ms Renton said the first Mr Livesey knew of the burglary was the following morning when he received a phone call from police to say his front window had been smashed.

Heaton pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods on the basis that she didn’t take part in the burglary but allowed her flat be used during the course of it.

The court heard Heaton committed the dishonesty offence while on bail for an offence of crashing a stolen car while drunk in 2017.

Heaton had been found in the driver’s seat of a crashed BMW, which had been stolen from a pensioner during a robbery at his home earlier that day.

As she got out of the car Heaton, who blew three times over the drink-drive limit, told police: “I don’t even know how to drive.”

She pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking and driving while uninsured and without a licence, as well as an affray which had happened in Blackburn earlier that year.

For all those offences she was given a 20-month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to complete a 40-day rehabilitation course.

But the court heard she had completed nine of those rehabilitation days and had disengaged with the probation service – not even telling them that she was pregnant with her tenth child.

Ms Renton said warrants had been issued for Heaton, who failed to attend her plea hearing or trial for the handling offence.

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Heaton, formerly of France Street, Blackburn, also pleaded guilty to failing to surrender to custody and breaching a suspended sentence order.

The court heard Heaton had to leave her flat after it burnt down in June.

Defending, Anna Chestnutt, said her client was now living with two of her sons, who are supportive of her and won't let drugs and alcohol in their property.

She said: “I invite your honour to impose a high-level community order with a robust list of requirements. Her likelihood of re-offending is low and she has remained drug-free since living with her sons in November.”

Judge Simon Newell sentenced Heaton to an 18-month community order, with 30 rehabilitation days and a three-month curfew between 8pm and 6am.