prison.

Jacqueline Dillas, of Camp Hill, was found guilty of offences of theft and breaking and entering which occurred in October.

Dillas had only recently left prison when the offences took place. She had been imprisoned for theft in January, again committed after a recent term of imprisonment.

She told Magistrates' Court that she committed these types of crime because she needed money to buy drugs and alcohol.

Prosecuting, Police Sgt. Rex Osborne told the court that in October, Dillas had left a taxi without paying the $18 bill, stole cigarettes and beer worth $5.35 from a store, stole food and cash worth $58.50 from other premises and burgled a home of $430.

Sgt. Osborne said: "She admitted the offences and said she used the money to purchase alcohol and drugs. She has a problem.'' Senior Magistrate, the Wor. Will Francis asked Dillas if she had tried to find assistance for her problem.

He said that he had no alternative but to sentence her to nine months in prison.