A JUDGE has sent a Romanian au pair suspected of shoplifting to prison for seven days so she can return home to Eastern Europe.

Ciorchina Carmen twice lied to police about who she was when she was arrested, Swindon Crown Court heard.

But, after learning that the 26-year-old had lost her job as a result, judge John McNaught passed a sentence which would allow her to go home.

Richard Thomas, prosecuting, said Carmen was arrested in Swindon on her birthday, April 18, after she was suspected of shoplifting.

When she got to the police station she told officers that her name was Anna Sperlover and she was from Poland.

"A Polish interpreter was called to the police station but it quickly became clear that she wasn't Polish," Mr Thomas said.

"In due course she was fingerprint checked and it revealed that although she wasn't Anna Sperlover, there was a caution in that name on the police national computer."

He said that related to a matter of suspected shoplifting from Cirencester from early December last year. When she was questioned she told police that she was an au pair for a local family and had given the name of her employer's previous au pair.

Carmen, of no fixed address, admitted perverting the course of justice by being cautioned in a false name and obstructing a police officer by again lying about her identity.

A charge of theft relating to the second incident was dropped as she denied it.

Chris Smyth, defending, said that his client had no previous convictions and arrived in the country last September quite properly on a two-year visa.

He said that his client had lied about her identity because she feared she would lose her job and home if the family she worked for found out about the offences.

"She was right in that fear because when the family found out about her second arrest they immediately brought all her belongings along to the police station," he said.

"And, indeed, all these belongings have found their way to my office,"

After her arrest she was remanded to Eastwood Park prison for almost a week as she had no address to go to, he told the court.

"She has found that a quite shocking time as you might imagine. It was not what she was expecting when she came to this country.

"Her wish now is to return straight back to Romania.

"She has spoken to her mother, who is a teacher in Romania, and her father, who is retired, and you can imagine the shock her mum had on finding her daughter was in a prison in England."

He said she had £300 in her property and, if she was released, wanted to collect her belongings and go to Heathrow to catch a flight home.

Judge McNaught jailed her for seven days saying: "I hope that means you will be able to be released today or very soon and you will be able to go straight away back to Romania."

TomMorton