A PROLIFIC shoplifter has been jailed for almost half a decade after ruining a second chance gifted to her by a judge.
Natalie Cull, of Madresfield Village, Malvern, was told by Judge Cartwright ‘what a waste that you threw it all away’ after she took cocaine at a drug rehabilitation unit.
The 31-year-old appeared at Worcester Crown Court on Friday (April 24) after admitting to one count of attempted theft from a shop, three counts of theft from a shop, and seven counts of breaching a criminal behaviour order at Worcester Magistrates’ court last month.
Cull, who appeared via video link from HMP Eastwood Park where she is currently imprisoned, spoke only to confirm her name.
The court heard that, in January, judge Nicholas Cartwright sentenced Cull to complete a drug rehabilitation course at Willowdene, a specialist rehabilitation facility in Shropshire, but was removed eight weeks into her stay after testing positive for cocaine.
Once she returned to Malvern, Cull reconnected with an ex-boyfriend and resumed her drug habit, fuelling it by stealing from shops she had been banned from, including Tesco, Co-op, Boots, and Shoezone.
She was arrested and pleaded guilty to the 11 offences in court on March 20.
In mitigation, Cull’s defence said that, since being jailed, the 31-year-old had been helping to teach other prisoners English and maths, thanks to her qualifications as an accountant before becoming addicted to drugs.
Sentencing, Judge Cartwright said: “I gave you a choice of Willowdene or prison for three years. Unfortunately, you chose prison.
“You left Willowdene to take cocaine. It is a real pity because Willowdene would have put you on the straight and narrow.
“What a waste that you threw it all away.”
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Judge Cartwright reinstated the three years in prison for three counts of theft and 19 counts of breaching a Criminal Behaviour Order he had opted to send Cull to rehabilitation for.
In addition to the previous sentence, Cull was also sentenced to 18 months, consecutive to the 30 months, for the 11 offences she admitted to in March.
Cull was told she would be eligible to serve the remainder of her sentence on licence after completing 40 per cent of her sentence, something Judge Cartwright was not optimistic she would do.
He said: “On your recent form, it’s hard to imagine you can stay you can stay out of trouble for more than a day or two.”
Cull was jailed for a total of four years and six months.
