AN ALCOHOLIC admitted stealing booze but claimed she “couldn’t remember doing it” when she appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates Court last week.

Sian Davies, 47, of Princess Royal Way, Haverfordwest, pinched a bottle of vodka and a bottle of whisky – worth £26 – from her local branch of Iceland.

Police found Davies sitting on a bench. She had stashed the untouched alcohol in a nearby hedge.

Having failed to attend an earlier court appearance for the offence, Davies was in custody. A bail act offence recorded against her was dropped after it emerged she had been in hospital, suffering from headaches and nosebleeds.

Matthew Greenish, defending, said Davies’ benefits had been stopped, and she was suffering from depression.

“She has no recollection of taking the goods,” he said. “She opened her handbag, saw the items, panicked, and chucked them in the hedge. She accepts that she must have taken them. She has long-standing issues with alcohol, and the majority of her previous convictions are for being drunk and disorderly.”

Mr Greenish said his client was attempting to reduce her alcohol intake, and had managed to “wean herself off wine”.

“She still has issues with coping mechanisms, and continues to turn to alcohol in times of stress,” he added.

Magistrates sentenced Davies to a 12 month Community Order, with supervision and alcohol treatment activity. She was also ordered to pay costs, a fine and a surcharge totalling £155.