A woman stabbed her opponent in the arm in an argument outside a Blackbird Leys pharmacy.

Claire Reid, 28, pulled a knife on her victim after bumping into the woman inside The Leys pharmacy on May 11.

She told police that her opponent had waited for her outside the shop having earlier said she wanted a fight. The stabber claimed she’d previously refused to shoplift for the woman.

Sentencing her to a two year community order with a three month curfew and banning her from going to Blackbird Leys, Judge Nigel Daly told Reid: “I’m doing this to give you a chance at this stage of your life. Otherwise it would just be in and out of prison committing further and further offences.

“Each one of those offences would have a victim. I’m hoping by passing this sentence today we can put an end to this chaotic lifestyle.

“This is your chance. It’s a chance to do something for yourself and it’s also a chance for the community to be spared your continuing to commit offences.”

Earlier, defence counsel Dana Bilan told Oxford Crown Court that her client had struggled with drug abuse.

While supposedly bailed to a hostel in Southampton and awaiting her sentencing hearing, Reid approached addiction charity Turning Point in Banbury – where she was, in fact, living – and obtained a prescription for class A drug substitute methadone. She had been using heroin and crack cocaine on top of the daily prescription.

Ms Bilan said Reid, who had not been taking heroin or crack since she was remanded into custody last month, was determined to tackle her addiction. She could stay with her mother in Oxfordshire if she was released from prison.

Judge Daly told the defendant: “I have read your previous convictions. You are somebody with a chaotic lifestyle, as it’s been described.

“You had problems on bail in relation to these matters but it seems that you realised even whilst you were on bail for these offences that you had to do something about your drug dependency and you did voluntarily go to Turning Point.

“You were on a methadone prescription and you are still on a methadone prescription now whilst in custody. You have not been able to take heroin or cocaine in custody.”

Reid, formerly of Whitelaw Road, Southampton, pleaded guilty shortly before her trial at the magistrates’ court to possession of a knife and causing actual bodily harm.

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