Caroline McIntosh, 37, helped herself to nearly £200 worth of fragrances at Boots in the Oak Mall, pictured, by stuffing bottles into her handbag.

Greenock Sheriff Court heard that she carried out the lunchtime raid last month to feed a chronic gambling habit.

Security staff moved in on McIntosh after viewing her on CCTV taking a try-before-you-buy tester cologne from a display.

Moments later they found an array of stolen items in her possession.

Prosecutor Kevin Doherty told Greenock Sheriff Court: “The accused made her way to the exit and was stopped and returned to the security office, where she was searched.

“Four bottles of perfume and an aftershave were recovered. Two of them were tester bottles and all were full.

“The total value of the items was £190.50 and full recovery was made.” Jobless mum-of-two McIntosh pleaded through defence lawyer Gerry Keenan to be spared jail.

Mr Keenan said: “She knows the court will be regarding this offence seriously.

“She has had a gambling problem for some time and needed funds to feed that habit. This offence had a particular problem at the root of it.

“She asks for one chance while at liberty to deal with the problem.

“Her loss through incarceration would be felt by others.” The court heard that McIntosh, of Nelson Street in Greenock, has seven pages of previous convictions and half of her 42 offences were crimes of dishonesty.

Sheriff Thomas Ward jailed her for four months over the Boots offence, which took place on 11 June.

He declared: “It seems to me that the shopkeepers in this jurisdiction require protection from you.

“In the circumstances I consider that there is no appropriate way of dealing with you other than by means of a custodial sentence.”