A WOMAN who stole items from a Cardigan shop had seen her benefits stopped and was desperate to be able to buy food for her daughter, magistrates have heard.

Zoe Vaughan, 26, pleaded guilty to theft from the Spar store in North Road on two occasions, stealing a total of just under £33 of goods on 6 and 10 October.

Prosecutor Helen Tench said Vaughan, now of 2 Emmanuel Close in Treherbert, was first seen on 6 October by a member of staff who saw her go in and put two bottles of wine in her bag.

She went to pay for other items she had picked up, but her card was declined so Vaughan returned those items, but then walked out with the wine still in her bag and without attempting to pay for it.

Vaughan was again seen in the store on 10 October picking up items and putting them in her bag, before paying for other items, but not those in her bag.

Ms Tench said Vaughan later returned to the store and was confronted by the manager who said that they knew she had put items in her bag and left without paying.

Vaughan said she didn’t want them and would return them or pay for them, but the police were called.

During a discussion with police, Vaughan said she had taken the items as she wanted to support her daughter.

Alan Lewis, defending Vaughan, said she had been struggling to get by after her benefits were stopped and she launched an appeal against that decision.

He said Vaughan had gone through a four-month period where she had no income and had been reliant on food banks and family and friends to help her and provide food for her young daughter.

But since then Vaughan had sought help for her benefit problem and issues around accommodation and Mr Lewis said she was also receiving help from her GP for alcohol issues.

He said things were improving for Vaughan. Mr Lewis said: “At that point of time she felt very desperate. Things have moved on since then.”

Mr Lewis added that Vaughan had not been in trouble since these offences.

Vaughan was given a 12-month conditional discharge, but will pay compensation to the store totalling £32.78 and costs of £105.