A FORMER heroin addict tried to withdraw cash from the account of a disabled elderly woman with her stolen bank card, a court was told.
Zahra Adem, of Lenton, has 82 offences on her record, including 19 for fraud.
In May she was offending again, with the stolen card of profoundly deaf Elizabeth Booth.
Adem tried to use the card on five occasions around the corner from Ms Booth's Nuthall home.
She told police she had not stolen the card and claimed she only knew Ms Booth as "Betty" and denied she was aware who the card belonged to, Nottingham Crown Court heard.
Ms Booth's purse and cards were taken as she sat reading in her garden on March 29 .
One of the cards was used near her home by Adem the same day.
Young mum Adem tried to withdraw cash on five occasions in just 40 minutes, the court was told. She failed because she didn't punch in the correct PIN numbers.
The 26-year-old, of Abbey Court, was sentenced to a one-year community order after admitting five charges of fraud and one of handling stolen goods.
Judge Michael Stokes told her: "I make it plain had you been convicted of burglary of this elderly and disabled woman's home, to which you had access, then you would be going to prison for two years.
Adem told him she did.
He added: "There are some who would conclude – I include myself in that – that the available evidence points irresistibly to the fact that you did steal this card, but your plea of not guilty to burglary has been accepted by the Crown, and you have pleaded guilty to handling it [the card] on the basis that you were handed the card by someone who had in fact made a statement to say he did not give it to you.
"On the basis I have to sentence you, all the aggravating features are removed.
"I don't like it. I'm sure others won't like it. But there we are."
The court heard, in mitigation, that Adem had been addicted to heroin in the past.
Barrister Avik Mukherjee, for Adem, said: "She wants to make a fresh start, find settled accommodation and live back with her daughter."
