PARIS — A 54-year-old woman was sentenced to serve 10 days in jail Friday, one month after pleading guilty to stealing from a Paris store and assaulting two employees who tried to stop her.

Kathleen Lorraine Bowden, of 349 Hebron Road in Paris, was sentenced in the Oxford County Superior Court by Justice Robert Clifford. She must serve the 10 days out of an underlying one-year prison sentence, serve two years of probation, undergo counseling and treatment, and pay a $600 fine.

Bowden was indicted in June 2008 on one count each of robbery and theft and two counts of assault. The indictment accused Bowden of using force to steal clothes worth $76.06 from Family Dollar in April 2008.

Assistant District Attorney Joe O’Connor said Bowden took a bag into the store and began shoplifting. He said she fought with two employees who tried to stop her and was uncooperative when police officers arrived.

Bowden pleaded guilty to the theft and assault charges in January. The robbery charge was dismissed.

O’Connor said the incident was “a very conscious, purpose-driven theft” and recommended that Bowden serve 30 days of the underlying sentence. He said Bowden has prior shoplifting and assault convictions, and that such a sentence would help to defer other misconduct.

Defense lawyer Sarah Glynn, who recommended a fully suspended jail sentence, had two doctors and Bowden’s husband speak to Clifford. They said Bowden had not had any further incidents after her husband began to ensure that she was taking a mood-stabilizing medication and argued that a jail sentence could be detrimental to Bowden’s health.

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