A ONE-woman crime wave is today back behind bars after she stole cash from a disabled woman in the street.

Bernadette Whelan has spent the past 25 years in and out of the courts with 45 convictions for more than 201 offences.

The 39-year old appeared at Southampton Crown Court for three counts of theft after stealing a purse containing £300 from the back of a wheelchair.

Prosecutor Stuart Ellacott told the court she then stole cash from two shoppers in Waitrose supermarket in Lymington hours after stealing the purse from a woman who needs round-the-clock care.

The victim has “profound learning difficulties” and had been saving up the cash to buy a tumble dryer.

Mr Ellacott went on to describe how she took the cash from the shoppers while in Christchurch.

He said: “The care support worker had the money in her purse placed in handbag hanging over the handle of the wheelchair. The care support worker went into Argos and realised it was missing.”

The prosecutor added that Whelan, of no fixed address, had committed offences since 1990 including theft and possession of drugs, such as heroin.

The court heard she had been battling a drug addiction since she was 16.

Defending Nick Robinson admitted she had an “appalling record” but added that she had little opportunity to change her ways recently.

He said: “She's turning 40 in a few weeks' time. She was last given a chance in 2009 to change her way. For the last six years she's been virtually imprisoned all that time.”

Sentencing the mum-of-three, Recorder Robert Pawson said: “This court does have sympathy with your background and that you're in the grip of a drug addiction but if you go around targeting vulnerable people then you leave the court no alternative.”

Whelan was sentenced to eight months in prison for the three offences, to run concurrently, and to pay a victim surcharge of £100.