A vulnerable woman was taken to court repeatedly for shoplifting offences by the Crown Prosecution Service, despite her learning difficulties.

Lyn Martin lives in a special care home in Horfield and has never comes to terms with the death of her brother, Bristol Magistrates' Court heard.

According to her solicitor she has an obsession with clocks and on four occasions in the last three months has been arrested for walking out of shops with one kind of timepiece or another.

The 45-year-old of Lindsey Road pleaded guilty to the two most recent shoplifting incidents on Tuesday, including the theft of a £70 clock from Debenhams at the Horsefair on November 27. The other offence was for taking a digital clock worth £14.50 from John Lewis at Cribbs Causeway on October 19.

These convictions put her in breach of a conditional discharge, imposed by magistrates following two previous clock thefts, on November 5 and in October.

Magistrates ordered a pre-sentence report and adjourned the case until January 22, releasing the defendant on unconditional bail.

In court, Martin spoke only to confirm her name, age and address.

She slurred her words as she did so, and spent much of the hearing staring into the distance.

Laura Opie, prosecuting, said: "On October 19 Ms Martin was observed in The Mall to select a clock and take it out without paying for it.

"She would pick it up and put it down several times.

"She was released on bail because she lives in a special care home due to her learning difficulties.

"On November 27 she took the clock and put it in a carrier bag.

"She admitted taking the clock and said she had no money, she wanted to sell it to get money."

The court heard Martin, who appeared with a support worker, was given a caution in September for a similar previous offence.

Paul Whitcliffe, defending, said: "Lyn Martin has appeared twice before in fairly quick succession.

"All are matters of theft, all thefts of clocks.

"She has a fixation, an obsession with clocks.

"The courts have tried to deal with the matter by way of fines or a conditional discharge, but given the underlying symptom it would seem appropriate for a psychiatric report.

"Unlike many people who appear before the courts, these are not drug-related offences.

"There are deep-seated issues revolving around the loss of her brother several years ago.

"Her social worker says she has never got to grips with it, she feels she is sometimes in contact with him."

After the hearing, Avon and Somerset Police spokesman Wayne Baker said once a crime is committed, police gather evidence and pass it on to the CPS, who then make the decision whether to proceed with prosecution.

CPS spokeswoman Sophie Kilgour said: "Each case is assessed on an individual basis and we consider each in line with the Code for Crown Prosecutors which states we must first satisfy evidential criteria and then decide whether it is in the public interest to prosecute."

Wendy Hawes, operations manager commercial support at John Lewis Cribbs Causeway, said: "Our business protection team was alerted to Ms Martin's actions and referred her case to the local police.

"If they decide to prosecute, they do so on our behalf without any further involvement from John Lewis."

Debenhams had not provided a comment at time of going to press.