A CHRONIC offender has been spared jail because a court heard she appears to be making progress to beat drug addiction.

Michelle Humble, 38, of Sussex Street, Winchester, admitted two breaches of a criminal behaviour order imposed  in September 2023 to stop her shoplifting in the city centre.

On February 7 she was seen on the High Street and then on February 11 she went into Superdrug in the High Street.

The new offences occurred soon after she had been released from prison, a sentence imposed in December for breaking the same order.

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READ MORE HERE: Repeat offender sent to prison for breaking court order

Humble admitted the charges. She was jailed for 12 weeks but magistrates in Basingstoke agreed to suspend the sentence for 12 months as, the court record stated: there "was a "reasonable prospect of rehabilitation, as she had recently provided negative drug tests".

But the Bench said a prison sentence would be justified because of her persistent breaches of the CBO.

She was also ordered to pay £40 prosecution costs.