A BASINGSTOKE woman who once posed as an NHS worker to con money out of kind-hearted residents has avoided going to prison after breaching her suspended sentence order by stealing more than £100 of goods from Sainsbury’s.

Julie Anne Mills, of Ilsley Road, Basingstoke, was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, in November 2019, after she posed as an NHS worker to scam people out of money. Mills used a NHS ID card to prey on a vulnerable person and get money from them.

However, the 46-year-old has since breached her order twice.

Beverley Da Costa, prosecuting, told Winchester Crown Court this morning (March 9) that Julie Mills was given additional hours of unpaid work in January 2020 for the first breach but, on November 30, went on to offend again by stealing gift bags, alcohol, and meat worth £130.66 from Sainsbury’s in Basingstoke.

She was sentenced for the offence last month at Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court, and issued with a £60 fine. However, breach of such an order has a “starting point” of serving the prison time from the initial sentence, Ms Da Costa said.

Addressing Mills in relation to reports compiled on her progress with probation officers, Recorder Karim Ezzat said: “In essence they say you have been going through a very difficult time and they are suggesting that I do not activate the suspended sentence, and I agree with them.”

Julie Mills was representing herself, but requested that Sergeant Carl Holmes address the judge on her behalf.

He told the court that he has been working with Mills for a number of months, adding: “She has engaged with me in the past, perhaps in a more negative way on the drug scene, but now she is engaging with me positively. She’s a victim of very serious assault and she’s certainly a very different Julie to the one I knew six months ago.”

Instead of sending her to prison, the judge made the decision to add five additional rehabilitation days onto the 15 Mills is currently serving.

“In my view, because of the circumstances you have been going through, it would not be just to activate it,” he said.

“You have been doing well, but you are subject to a suspended sentence order so do not find yourself back here on another charge. There are only so many chances you will get.”