A COWDENBEATH woman who carried out a string of thefts at shops in Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy has been jailed for eight months.

Laura Brearley (28), stole alcohol, food and make-up and also made racist remarks when staff at one of the shops tried to stop her.

She admitted stealing cosmetics from Savers in High Street, Dunfermline, on 11th November 2013, as well as alcohol from Asda Halbeath, and Marks & Spencer in Dunfermline, on 30th December.

Brearley, – whose addresses were given as Park Street, Cowdenbeath, and Bridgeway Hotel, Kirkcaldy – carried out the latter two thefts while on bail, and despite knowing she had an upcoming appearance at Court on 30th January.

She also pleaded guilty to stealing food items on 9th April from Shop Local, in Kirkcaldy, and acting in a racially aggravated manner by uttering racially offensive remarks to Afreen Iqbal. Fiscal depute, Azrah Yousaf, told Dunfermline Sheriff Court on Wednesday that Brearley had stolen £37.88 in cosmetics, of which £12.77 worth was recovered. However, the single bottles of alcohol from Asda and Marks & Spencer, totalling £12.49, were not, nor was the £3.70 in food from Shop Local. Ms Yousaf said Brearley had entered Shop Local around 7pm, adding, “She was seen to leave the site and was challenged. She said initially that she had tried to pay for the items and when the shopkeeper went to call the police, she said, ‘If you don’t watch it, you’ve got eyes like a Paki’.” Solicitor Gwen Haggerty said Brearley was “struggling” and “considers herself to be a danger to herself”.

Sheriff Ian Abercrombie sentenced Brearley to a total of eight months for all the offences.