Mother-of-six burgled Next three times in four days and hurled hammer at cops in police chase

Joanne Fisher, aged 41, was part of a group that targeted Next at Forge Retail Park in Telford in late night raids last March, stealing around £7,500 worth of children's and ladies items.

Shrewsbury Crown Court heard that Fisher was a passenger in a Citroen Picasso that pulled up to the shop at around 10.53pm on March 20. She remained in the front passenger seat while her accomplices smashed through the windows before helping themselves to "armfuls" of children's clothes.

Two days later, the Citroen returned at around 11.34pm. Again, Fisher was in the passenger seat while others smashed their way into the shop and stole items. She was seen on CCTV getting out of the car to retrieve an item which was on the floor before the group drove off.

The very next day, on March 23, a Ford Fiesta with cloned number plates arrived at the store. This time, Fisher was seen going into the shop and stealing clothes. The court was told that the raid cost Next around £3,000 on top of the clothes stolen due to the damage and additional security needed to be put in place.

In the early hours of the next morning, police saw the Fiesta in Bridgnorth. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but it sped off.

A pursuit began and continued towards Sutton Maddock, and Fisher began throwing items out of the window. She hurled number plates, an iron bar and a hammer, which hit the officers' car.

The chase came to an end and the occupants of the Fiesta fled, but Fisher was apprehended near a woodland.

All this happened while Fisher was out on license after being jailed for perverting the course of justice the year before.

Fisher, of Coalway Road, Walsall, pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary and one of causing a danger to road users.

Suzanne Francis, mitigating, said that Fisher had been a "model prisoner" since she was returned to jail last April, doing a number of courses and becoming a Samaritans call handler.

Fisher's four younger children were taken off her by social services when she was previously jailed, said Ms Francis, and that led to her "hitting rock bottom" and taking crack cocaine. "She wants to get out and try to find her children," Ms Francis said. She also referenced Fisher's difficult upbringing.

Judge Anthony Lowe told Fisher: "I understand you had a tragic childhood, but frankly that doesn't justify smashing Next's windows and helping yourself to goods."

Taking into account her time in custody, he handed her a two-year prison term, suspended for two years, insisting the probation service support offered through the suspended term would be more helpful disposal for the community in the long term.