A serial shop thief necked cans of lager at court moments before she was jailed for her latest offence.
Career criminal Michelle Stephenson, who has hundreds of past convictions to her name, downed Stella and carried her belongings in a Santa bag as she awaited sentence for stealing toiletries from Wilko, in Byker.
The 34-year-old was locked-up for eight weeks on Wednesday after admitting the theft and breaching a suspended sentence for the second time.
Glenda Beck, prosecuting at North Tyneside Magistrates' Court, said that Stephenson, of Kingston Avenue, Walker, went into Wilko on November 13 last year and helped herself to £270-worth of toiletries before leaving without paying.
But her face was well known to the police and she was soon arrested.
And, when she appeared at court, she was seen necking cans of booze as she and two associates waited for her case to be called on.
Alanna Wesencraft, defending, said Stephenson had suffered from issues with alcohol in the past and issues with her mental health.
But, magistrates deemed she'd had enough chances and activated her suspended sentence, jailing her for eight weeks.
She was also given a separate 12-month conditional discharge for the shoplifting offence.
