Mum given last chance by court

2:05pm Monday 6th October 2008

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A CORSHAM mother who stole more than £16,000 from her parents has been given another chance after failing to do any community service.

Cindy Clifford was put on a six month suspended sentence and told to do 240 hours of unpaid work.

But since the order was passed in May the 27-year-old hasn't done any of the community service and even had seven hours added to it in August.

Today a judge at Swindon Crown Court has given her a last chance' to get on with the work or serve the jail term.

Judge William Hart told her: "For a third breach it is almost inevitable a judge will impose the sentence."

Instead he allowed the order to continue and put her on a three-month supervision order with probation.

Earlier he had been told within days of the seven hours being added to the order in the summer her grandmother, who she was very close to, died.

Over the following weeks she then failed to turn up and keep appointments burying her head in the sand'.

Clifford stole cash and jewellery from the family home before taking her mother's chequebook to fund her and her boyfriend's drug habits and pay for a luxury holiday'.

She even took savings which had been set aside to buy Christmas presents for her and her child.

But after hearing how the 27-year-old was off heroin and had moved away from her former boyfriend a judge at Swindon Crown Court imposed a suspended sentence.

Clifford, formerly of Westcroft, Chippenham, but now living in Corsham, pleaded guilty to four counts of fraud and three of theft.