By . Jaya Narain . PUBLISHED: . 09:35 EST, 28 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 20:56 EST, 28 January 2014 . June Humphreys, 76, from Crewe, admitted a string of shoplifting offences and told magistrates she did it because she was bored and lonely . A great-grandmother used her OAP bus pass to go on shoplifting sprees because she was bored with being old. Supported by her trusty shopping trolley, June Humphreys, 76, would walk into a store and wander down the aisles filling it with goods before walking off. During a four-year spree she travelled across two counties and tried to make off with items worth hundreds of pounds. Despite being repeatedly caught by security staff she continued on her shoplifting binge. A probation officer said Humphreys had clocked up as many shoplifting convictions as a teenage heroin addict. Following the latest series of thefts on January 6, she admitted stealing sweets and chocolate worth £2 from Iceland, baby clothes worth £69 from BHS, another batch of baby clothes worth £24.98 from a B&M store and even a breast pump from Boots. After arriving at North Staffordshire magistrates court pushing her shopping trolley, Humphreys pleaded guilty to stealing from four shops in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent. But the mother of seven escaped jail after telling magistrates that she stole only because she was bored by old age and having nothing to do. Humphreys lives alone in Crewe, Cheshire, and claimed she went out shoplifting because she had to do something to ‘fill the time’. She said she had little contact with her children or grandchildren. She has previous convictions for shop theft in 2011, 2012, 2013 and as recently as two weeks ago. Magistrates warned her that she will go to prison if she shoplifts again. Darren Vernon, a probation officer, told the hearing: ‘She has travelled around Staffordshire and Cheshire on public transport and committed offences. She knows what she is doing is wrong – she says she is bored and needs to fill her time. Time to fill: The mother of seven lives alone and suffers from breast cancer and osteoarthritis, magistrates were told. She was jailed for one month, suspended for a year . ‘She lives alone. She has seven . children but the only one she has contact with lives above her. She has . acquired the record of a heroin addict in his late teens.’ Store detectives would catch Humphreys red-handed but she simply refused to stop. Appearing . in court the pensioner admitted the thefts on January 6 and also . pleaded guilty to stealing alcohol, coffee and confectionery worth . £30.42 from an Aldi store and stealing two pairs of boots worth £94.50 . from a shoe shop in Hanley a week before Christmas. Mr Vernon told the court Humphreys had been ill. She was being treated for breast cancer and also suffered from osteoarthritis. Shoplifting: Macclesfield, pictured, was one of many towns where Humphreys went shoplifting . Leek in Staffordshire was another town the OAP used her bus pass to travel to so she could shoplift . He . recommended that the court give her one last chance and that if she . reoffended then a custodial sentence may be the only answer. Andrew Bennett, defending, said: ‘My client does not want to go to prison. She wants to stop stealing.’ Magistrates . revoked a community order that had previously been imposed on Humphreys . for theft and sentenced her to one month in prison suspended for 12 . months. She was also ordered to pay £45 costs and an £80 victim surcharge for the offences.
June Humphreys, 76, from Crewe, has a record 'like teenage heroin addict'
The OAP stole from shops across Staffordshire, Cheshire and Shropshire .
Hid goods including breast pump and baby clothes in her shopping trolley .
Humphreys, who has breast cancer and osteoarthritis, admitted thefts .
She was given one-month suspended jail sentence and told to pay £125 .
By . Jaya Narain . PUBLISHED: . 09:35 EST, 28 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 20:56 EST, 28 January 2014 . June Humphreys, 76, from Crewe, admitted a string of shoplifting offences and told magistrates she did it because she was bored and lonely . A great-grandmother used her OAP bus pass to go on shoplifting sprees because she was bored with being old. Supported by her trusty shopping trolley, June Humphreys, 76, would walk into a store and wander down the aisles filling it with goods before walking off. During a four-year spree she travelled across two counties and tried to make off with items worth hundreds of pounds. Despite being repeatedly caught by security staff she continued on her shoplifting binge. A probation officer said Humphreys had clocked up as many shoplifting convictions as a teenage heroin addict. Following the latest series of thefts on January 6, she admitted stealing sweets and chocolate worth £2 from Iceland, baby clothes worth £69 from BHS, another batch of baby clothes worth £24.98 from a B&M store and even a breast pump from Boots. After arriving at North Staffordshire magistrates court pushing her shopping trolley, Humphreys pleaded guilty to stealing from four shops in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent. But the mother of seven escaped jail after telling magistrates that she stole only because she was bored by old age and having nothing to do. Humphreys lives alone in Crewe, Cheshire, and claimed she went out shoplifting because she had to do something to ‘fill the time’. She said she had little contact with her children or grandchildren. She has previous convictions for shop theft in 2011, 2012, 2013 and as recently as two weeks ago. Magistrates warned her that she will go to prison if she shoplifts again. Darren Vernon, a probation officer, told the hearing: ‘She has travelled around Staffordshire and Cheshire on public transport and committed offences. She knows what she is doing is wrong – she says she is bored and needs to fill her time. Time to fill: The mother of seven lives alone and suffers from breast cancer and osteoarthritis, magistrates were told. She was jailed for one month, suspended for a year . ‘She lives alone. She has seven . children but the only one she has contact with lives above her. She has . acquired the record of a heroin addict in his late teens.’ Store detectives would catch Humphreys red-handed but she simply refused to stop. Appearing . in court the pensioner admitted the thefts on January 6 and also . pleaded guilty to stealing alcohol, coffee and confectionery worth . £30.42 from an Aldi store and stealing two pairs of boots worth £94.50 . from a shoe shop in Hanley a week before Christmas. Mr Vernon told the court Humphreys had been ill. She was being treated for breast cancer and also suffered from osteoarthritis. Shoplifting: Macclesfield, pictured, was one of many towns where Humphreys went shoplifting . Leek in Staffordshire was another town the OAP used her bus pass to travel to so she could shoplift . He . recommended that the court give her one last chance and that if she . reoffended then a custodial sentence may be the only answer. Andrew Bennett, defending, said: ‘My client does not want to go to prison. She wants to stop stealing.’ Magistrates . revoked a community order that had previously been imposed on Humphreys . for theft and sentenced her to one month in prison suspended for 12 . months. She was also ordered to pay £45 costs and an £80 victim surcharge for the offences.
January 2014 . June Humphreys, 76, from Crewe, teenage heroin addict. Following the latest Iceland, baby clothes worth £69 from BHS, another store and even a breast pump from Boots. After pushing her shopping trolley, Humphreys pleaded cancer and osteoarthritis, magistrates were told. her. She has . acquired the record of a heroin Leek in Staffordshire was another town the OAP