Krystal Tippins, 26, pleaded guilty in Warrnambool Magistrates Court on Monday to shop theft, possessing methamphetamine and possessing Xanax.

Charges relating to a sawn-off shotgun were withdrawn.

The court heard the woman was refused bail on the more serious firearm-related charges and had served 128 days in custody on remand.

Magistrate Nunzio La Rosa said he wouldn't impose a sentence "anywhere near that".

Tippins was jailed for 21 days.

She was arrested on May 16 at Warrnambool's Bunnings Warehouse after she and her then-boyfriend Kieron Miller, 27, were swarmed by police about 3.30pm.

A search of Tippins' bag located two black spray cans stolen from the retail store.

A subsequent search of Miller's vehicle uncovered a sawn-off shotgun, ammunition, a small quantity of MDMA, a stolen mobile phone and bank cards used to purchase items from retail and liquor stores.

The couple was conveyed to Warrnambool police station where an officer found a glass smoking pipe with methamphetamine residue in Tippins' bra.

Two days later she was found with prescription pills Xanax while in custody.

Damian Fragapane, representing Tippins, said Miller pleaded guilty to the offending in July, was jailed for a year and placed on a community correction order.

He said the offences his client had pleaded guilty to were at the lower end of the scale with the shop steal relating to items worth $14.40 and the drugs being a "minute" amount.

Mr Fragapane said Tippins had struggled with drug abuse for a decade following childhood trauma, but had remained clean from illicit substances while in custody.

He said she planned to stay drug-free upon her release back into the community.

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