The luck of a woman, who narrowly avoided prison after admitting having sex in public, stabbing a security guard with a needle and string of shoplifting offences, has run out.

Nicola Henderson was given an 18-month suspended sentence in September last and within days she was in trouble again for assaulting an emergency worker helping her when she was found unconscious in the street.

Magistrates gave her a conditional discharge but the 48-year-old fell foul of the law again when she was caught buying amphetamine in Stockton in February this year.

Judge Chris Smith told the drug addict that the conditions of her suspended sentence had perhaps ‘set her up to fail’ but told her that a period in prison could help resolve her addiction.

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He said: “The trouble is, it has been too much for you really, I feel I set you to fail in’ as here you are in February buying amphetamine so you clearly still have a drug problem.

“The conditions of the suspended sentence I imposed on you were clearly too much.”

Activating the 18-month suspended sentence, he added: “Hopefully, once you have been released you will be refreshed but you need to stay off the drugs – they are doing you no good.”

Henderson, of Hartington Road, Stockton, admitted possession of amphetamine after he arrest on February 18.

Jonathan Walker, prosecuting, reminded the judge that he had dealt with the defendant on previous occasions and knew the background of her offending.

While Paul Green, mitigating, said his client’s health had benefitted from her remand in custody and was now clean of drink and drugs but accepted she did suffer from an ‘entrenched drug problem’.

He added: “Now she can see more clearly she would engage with the probation service, given the chance.”

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In September, Henderson when she stabbed a shop security guard with a needle when they tried to stop her shoplifting from a Stockton store.

She also admitted outraging public decency when she was spotted having sex in public and assault occasioning actual bodily harm for the needle attack.

Additionally, she pleaded guilty to stealing £16.75 worth of alcohol from Sainsbury's in Middlesbrough, on July 14, last year and stealing household items to the value of £79.13, together with a male, from B&M in Redcar.

Previously, the court heard that Henderson has 24 previous convictions for a range of crimes including fraud, theft and prostitution.