A WOMAN returned to drug-taking as a coping mechanism following two bereavements, a court heard.

Jenna Davies, 33, started shoplifting to get money for drugs, a weekend sitting of North East Wales Magistrates Court at Mold was told.

Davies, of Glaslyn, Plas Madoc, Acrefair, admitted three shoplifting charges and failing to answer court bail on an earlier occasion.

She had also been convicted in her absence of an earlier shoplifting offence.

Stephen Edwards, defending, said there was a drugs element to the case.

She had been doing well on a methadone prescription which allowed her to live a normal life and be a good mother to her 13-year-old daughter.

But there had been two sudden tragedies in her life.

Her mother died suddenly and her partner of 15 years also died.

"She appeared not to have been able to cope," Mr Edwards explained.

Davies lost her accommodation and when she became homeless she lost her methadone prescription.

"She then relapsed to illicit street drugs," he said, adding the offences occurred to get money to pay for them.

She was leading a chaotic lifestyle but following intervention by the drugs services and social services she now had stable accommodation and she was being helped with a 40mls methadone prescription.

They said she was already getting support to get her life back on track and sentencing would be adjourned until Wednesday, April 24, to allow time for probation service intervention.

Davies admitted stealing goods worth £65 from the Co-op in Rhostyllen and two incidents of theft valued at £70 from the Nisa store in Ruabon, all last month.

She admitted failing to answer her bail in January when she was convicted in her absence of stealing property valued at £106 from B&M Bargains in Wrexham.

The defendant was bailed on condition she does not enter any of the three stores.