A WOMAN who was spared immediate jail for using her family's details to get credit in a £17,500 scam was back offending two weeks later, a court was told.

Caroline Garnett, 28, said to commit crime to "self medicate" for crushingly low self-esteem, went shoplifing in Asda once the high of not going to prison had worn off, Burnley Crown Court heard.

The defendant, who has had a privileged upbringing, is now facing further time behind bars after her latest offending spree.

Her case was adjourned for psychiatric and/or psychological reports after a judge said she had huge personality problems.

Recorder Richard Shaw who described the case as "worrying," said he wanted medical reports to help him understand what had been driving Garnett to commit the offences.

He told the defendant: "You went and committed further offences within days of the suspended sentence order and that does strike me as more than a cry for help."

The judge said the deception offences involving the defendant's family had been "wicked," and "extremely unpleasant," said she had gone out "inviting arrest," afterwards.

The defendant, of Manchester Road, Barnoldswick, admitted three counts of theft and being in breach of a suspended sentence and had been committed for sentence by Burnley Magistrates. She was remanded in custody until a date to be fixed in the New Year.

Silvia Dacre, prosecuting, told the court Garnett had been given the suspended sentence last September for making false representations and theft.

She had got details relating to bank accounts held by her mother and grandmother and had pretended to be the account holder to get goods and services.

Fifteen days later she was out pinching from Colne Asda, helping herself to a £35 microwave, a £79.97 television and clothing and other goods to the tune of £355.45.

Tim Storrie, defending, said the defendant suffered crushingly low self-esteem and she was self-medicating at other people's expense, with grand gestures such as giving gifts, tickets and holidays.

Once the euphoria of keeping her liberty had passed, she again felt isolated, emotionally crippled and rudderless and was confronting the problems she had always faced.