TWO days in a row, Rachael-Ann Webster tried to take a $349 jumping castle from a Rockhampton store and managed to get it outside the building on one occasion.

The 36-year-old mother of five pleaded guilty yesterday in the Rockhampton Magistrates Court to one count of attempted shop steal and one count of stealing.

Police prosecutor Jess King said Webster attended the Target store in the City Centre Plaza on December 13 at 1.30pm, picked up a large box from out the front of the store and placed it into a trolley before proceeding into the store and picking up two other items.

She said Webster then went to the cashier and told them she had paid for the polar bear jumping castle by lay-by and only had to pay for the other two items.

Webster was unable to produce a receipt for the jumping castle and the store manager was called to assist.

She left that day without the jumping castle.

Ms King said Webster returned the next day at 8.30am and again loaded a box containing the jumping castle into a trolley, entered the store and wheeled it around before leaving without paying.

She said she was found at the Alma St exit with the item, telling staff she had found the receipt overnight and had returned to collect the item. However, she had lost the receipt since exiting the store as she had a hole in the bag.

Defence lawyer Pierre Lammersdorf said Webster had been diagnosed with mental health issues and she had not taken her medications at the time.

The court heard the last entry in her criminal history was in June 2012.

Magistrate Jeff Clarke ordered her to an 18-month probation order and a conviction recorded.