A 'VULNERABLE' young mum who stole to get her daughter a birthday present, is awaiting sentence.
Burnley magistrates heard how Joanne Alderson, 22, had wanted to get the three-year-old a gift to take to her on her special day -- but instead she spent the day in custody.
The defendant, of Westgate, Burnley, who was caught by a store guard, admitted theft allegations and was remanded in custody until December 10 for a pre-sentence report.
Richard Taylor, defending, said Alderson had many problems and lived alone. As a child she had tuberculosis, both her parents died when she was 12 and she had undergone back surgery and a hip replacement.
Because the defendant had grown, the replacement needed to be done again. Alderson had great difficulty walking properly.
She had taken up with a drug addict who had introduced her to heroin. He was the father of her daughter and was in custody.
Mr Taylor said Alderson had not had any cash to buy the little girl a doll: "The defendant has a drug problem which needs addressing urgently. Custody is not the ideal place for somebody as vulnerable as this."
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