A woman in Truro, N.S., made an unusual request Thursday: she asked for a longer jail term.

Debbie Rushton, 45, of nearby Debert, had already pleaded guilty to stealing more than $230,000 from her former employer over a seven-year period, and the judge initially sentenced her to 18 months in a provincial jail.

When her lawyer, Jill Nette, explained that Rushton was addicted to video-lottery gambling, and would only get proper treatment for it in a federal prison, Judge John MacDougall agreed to her request for a two-year sentence, which would automatically send her to a federal institution.

"She had done some research, and satisfied herself that the federal institution would provide better services and better rehab, rehabilitation services for her particular problem," Nette said.
 
During her sentencing hearing Thursday, the Crown and the defence both detailed Rushton's addiction to VLTs.

The court was told Rushton stole the money over a seven-year period to get money for her gambling habit.

"All the money she had went to gambling," said Nette. "It was not uncommon for her to gamble $1,000 per week."

Rushton stayed late many nights at the orthodontist's office where she worked, manipulating the books so her employer wouldn't know she was stealing from him, the court was told.

Elizabeth Fry Society addictions counsellor Jeanette Milley said Thursday she is seeing an increase in the number of women with gambling addictions who are getting in trouble with the law.

"The VLTs especially, we notice a marked increase in, where women are self-medicating with the use of VLTs, and it's increasing, year by the year, the number of women who seek our help," Milley said.
 
Milley says she expects to see more cases of women choosing longer sentences, because often the only way to get in-house treatment for their problems is in a federal institution.

With files from the Canadian Press