One of Wigan’s most prolific thieves spared immediate return to jail

Borough magistrates heard that Zara Fairhurst was banned from both TK Maxx and Asda at Robin Park and yet on October 27 - only 19 days after the end of her latest spell behind bars - she stole from both shops. From the former she took three pairs of wireless headphones worth almost £60 and from the hypermarket she snatched a high visibilty jacket.

The 30-year-old of Vulcan Road, Marsh Green, is a regular visitor to Wigan’s courts of justice. In August she was given a 16-week jail term after admitting she stole £667 worth of goods from Asda at Newtown while breaching a criminal behaviour order which had only been imposed in March for previous offences. In May she was given a 20-week term for stealing meats from Lidl, justices remarking on her “appalling record of offending.”

This time she was given a total of 20 weeks in custody but the sentence was suspended for 18 months. Fairhurst was also put on a drug rehab programme and must complete 20 days of rehabilitation activities.

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