Ebony Punch was sentenced at the Ballarat Magistrates Court on Wednesday to 73 days in jail, which she has already served, and a 12-month community corrections order.

The 33-year-old was fleeing a former partner in fear, experiencing homelessness and using drugs when she committed the range of offences between November 2017 to November 2018.

In one incident on February 2, Punch and a co-accused were caught stealing items from Wendouree Coles supermarket.

The court was told Punch, who had a knife down her socks, and her co-accused were arrested outside the supermarket. 

The store manager told police the pair had taken a bag to their car containing cosmetic items from the supermarket.

Police then located the bag and two knives in the car, while CCTV footage showed Punch and her co-accused taking items from the shelves, the court was told.

In another incident on May 5, police allegedly found 1.2 grams of cannabis in Punch’s handbag in a car park outside Caroline Springs McDonald’s.

Defence lawyer Josh Cunningham suggested his client be sentenced to time already served and a community corrections order, which the court agreed.

“She wants to get out of drug addiction, improve her mental health and stabilise herself,” Mr Cunningham said.

“Her children are a strong source of motivation to improve herself.”

In sentencing Punch, magistrate Letizia Torres warned Punch to get on with her life because she had “so many prior” offences.

Punch pleaded guilty to more than 20 charges, including possessing weapons, failing to answer bail, committing an indictable offence while on bail, unlicensed driving, unregistered driving, possessing drugs, failing to stop car on police direction and dealing with proceeds of crime.

She was disqualified from driving for six months.