Louise Hutchinson, 45, admitted committing the offence with another when she appeared in the Magistrate’s Court from custody.
She used a crowbar to break open a safe, and smash a computer and CCTV equipment.
Prosecuting Officer Luke Meyer told the court how the defendant had entered the veterinary clinic alone in the early hours of 2 September this year.
She was wearing black clothing and gloves with her head and face masked.
She left the building before returning some time later with the other person, who was in similar attire. They put some of the medication in bags and left.
Returning some time later that night, they stole further medication and Hutchinson damaged the property.
Acting on information, the police went to Hutchinson’s home where the drugs were found in a supermarket bag, and a black bin bag, both of which were full, along with clothing that she had been wearing, which matched that seen on CCTV.
The criminal damage she caused was valued at £4,469.
The medication, which included Gapapentin, had cost the practice £953 to buy.
In interview, Hutchinson denied being the burglar and said she would have been home in bed at that time.
She gave no comment responses to other questions.
She had matters on her record including the burglary of a non-dwelling and handling stolen goods in 2012, and shoplifting from 2009.
Defending, Advocate Samuel Steel said his client had been seeking pain relief so that she could function normally and that the drugs were for her own use.
Judge Gary Perry said that given the quantity of medication involved he did not believe that, and said the defendant was not telling the whole truth.
Advocate Steel said sending Hutchinson to prison would punish others and she needed to tackle historical trauma. She aimed to move to the Isle of Wight and while she wanted to pay for the cost of what she had done, she was not in a position to do so.
Judge Perry said the defendant had a very poor record and it was to her credit that she had stayed out of trouble for some time. There were though, numerous aggravating factors in this case.
This offending had clearly been planned. She had gone to the clinic in disguise, tooled up with crowbar which she had used to force entry to the safe and to smash CCTV equipment. She had also taken another person there to help her. The charge against co-defendant was dealt with via another disposal.
‘And all to feed your need for drugs,’ he said. ‘The danger of having such drugs in the community cannot be overestimated.’
He said there had to be an element in the sentence to deter others. Hutchinson was jailed for two years for the burglary and three months concurrent for both the criminal damage and the theft. Forfeiture and destruction of the crowbar was also ordered.
