A WOMAN who burgled car keys from an Oxfordshire car centre before being caught with a samurai sword has been spared jail.

Donna Rainbird appeared at Oxford Crown Court yesterday in connection with a burglary at Wheelers Car Centre, Chipping Norton and subsequent offences.

The 41-year-old of Plane Grove, Birmingham was convicted of burglary, possession of a samurai sword and possession of cocaine.

Rainbird - together with co-defendant Kirk Scott - stole keys to an Audi A3 valued at £19,000 from the centre.

She was later stopped by police in a red Seat in the West Midlands where she was found to be in possession of a samurai sword.

She was also caught with a small quantity of cocaine consistent with personal use.

Scott was set to be sentenced for his role in the burglary and for other offences but his case was instead adjourned to a later date.

It was also revealed that Rainbird has a number of previous convictions made up of 17 convictions for 31 offences.

Sentencing, Judge Nigel Daly called the offence a 'deliberate burglary.'

He said: "I don't accept and the jury must not have accepted that you didn't know what was going on [with the burglary].

"You have got an appalling record to date."

He said that the offences had to be marked with a period of custody, albeit a period that he could suspend.

Rainbird was jailed for 18 months which was suspended for a total of 18 months.

As part of that suspended sentence she was also ordered to complete a drug rehabilitation requirement and carry out 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

Judge Daly told her: "This is your chance, take it."