Woman who robbed Walsall supermarket with a pushchair avoids jail by a hair's breadth' after claiming her knife was for 'scraping a pipe for drugs' and not violence
A woman who used a pushchair to rob a Walsall supermarket has avoided jail 'by a hair's breadth' after being arrested with a knife which she told police was for 'scraping her crack pipe' and not for violence.
Claire Hubbard, 42, of Barracks Place, Blakenhall, was sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court where she appeared via video link from Foston Hall Women's Prison where she was being held on remand.
Hubbard was being sentenced for robbery, failing to surrender whilst on bail, and breaking a conditional order after being found guilty of possessing a blade in a public place two years ago.
Prosecuting, Samuel Leach told the court: "Police received reports on January 27, 2023, of a woman taking drugs in a tower block stairwell. The defendant was quickly located and knife was found in her bag. She said it was used for scraping drugs from her pipe.
"She did not turn up for her trial and was found guilty in her absence of possessing a blade in a public place."
