A WOMAN spared prison for robbing her own grandfather is wanted on warrant after refusing to engage with the probation service.

Sherie North, whose suspended sentence order has been referred to the Court of Appeal as unduly lenient, was summoned back to Bradford Crown Court for breach proceedings.

But North, 23, of Harden Grove, Ravenscliffe, Bradford, failed to attend Monday’s hearing and Judge Colin Burn issued an arrest warrant not backed for bail. North was sentenced to two years imprisonment, suspended for two years, on December 18, with a nine-month drug rehabilitation requirement, a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement and a six-month curfew order.

Her co-accused, Scott Cross, 34, of Wharncliffe Crescent, Eccleshill, Bradford, was jailed for nine years with a five-year extended licence. He committed four robberies and an attempted robbery in the space of a week while on prison licence.

Cross and North pushed past her grandfather, John Horvath, at his Incommunities flat in Bradford on September 29.

Cross brandished a hammer near his face, demanding money and jewellery, tipping up the pensioner’s bed and throwing him to the floor. The pair fled in a taxi with jewellery and £160 in cash.

Cross and North returned to Mr Horvath’s flat on October 3. Cross pushed him over, hit him in the face and again tipped his bed over while he was on it.

Mr Horvath pulled the emergency cord and the couple fled empty-handed. He had recently come out of hospital after an operation on his legs and was struggling to walk. He now felt unsafe in his home, the court heard.

North, who had a drug addiction, wept in the dock as she was spared an immediate jail sentence by the Recorder of Bradford, Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC, for her part in the offences. She had already spent two months in custody and had the support of her parents, the court was told. Solicitor advocate, John Bottomley, representing North at the breach proceedings, conceded her “low level of engagement” with the order. He proposed that it continue but Ken Green, for the prosecution, said: “There has been no engagement. She hasn’t engaged with anything.”

“She did pop in on the 30th of December, but apart from that…” Judge Burn said.

The court heard that North had not even attended the induction meeting and attempts to contact her since had failed.

The Court of Appeal may decide that the original sentence should stay the same, is unreasonably low and may increase it, or refuse to hear the case.