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Addiction is an illness for which there is no cure. There is no blood test to diagnose the illness, which means that, in many cases, it can be easy to hide. Friends and family members may have their suspicions; however, it is common for addicts to be in denial and to simply brush off their loved one’s concerns.
Depending on the severity of their addiction, some drug abusers will resort to crime to pay for their drug of choice. The nature of a drug addiction means that it takes over and it can rob everything from the individual, including their loved ones, homes, jobs and money; this can often make users feel as though they have no choice but to steal to fund their habit.
Desperate Lengths
Forty-two-year-old Mandy Michelle Brown of Yeovil is a prime example of the extreme lengths that some addicts will go to just to fund their addiction. The court gave Brown a drug rehabilitation order, but the very next day, she stole groceries to pay for more heroin.
The court heard how Brown had previously stolen from the One Stop Shop in Yeovil, but even after being shown leniency by the judge and offered the chance to try to overcome her addiction, she resorted to stealing yet again.
Brown admitted to the theft of meat products to the value of £71.50 in June 2016 and then a second joint theft of groceries worth £134.50 in July; both thefts were from the One Stop Shop. Prosecutor Laura Gardner explained how Brown entered the shop with another female at 9.15pm on June 23rd, adding, “They went to the freezer aisle and took selected packs of meat and put them in the defendant’s shoulder bag. A later check of the stock revealed that £71.50 worth of items were missing.”
Serious Heroin Addiction
Brown and her companion returned to the same store on July 8th at 9pm and proceeded to steal more goods. The court had already charged her co-defendant in a separate hearing. Neil Priest, Brown’s defending solicitor, told the court how Brown has been suffering from a severe heroin addiction for many years, which is the primary reason behind the thefts.
“At the time she was homeless and told the police she took the items to fund her drug habit. She then appeared in court for three thefts and was given a community order with a drug rehabilitation requirement. The first of these offences was committed prior to a strenuous and difficult order for her to keep and unfortunately the second offence was committed the following day,” explained Mr Priest. He added that Brown had eventually been homed, but her current living arrangements were ‘unsuitable’.
“The Probation Service is willing to assist her in being rehomed if she can provide negative drug samples, and she has now not had any drugs for seven days.”
The court imposed a conditional discharge of six months on Brown, and she is required to pay a victim surcharge of £20.
Support
It can be extremely challenging for anyone who is trying to overcome a drug addiction. Especially if they are attempting to do so on their own, without any support. Here at Blue Skies, our main aim is to make sure affected individuals are as comfortable as possible while going through treatment. We are available 24/7, so we can be contacted whenever needed. We provide the very best in rehabilitation care, and our experienced staff will ensure that the treatment we provide will be most beneficial for a client’s specific needs. Contact us today for any further information on our treatments.
Source: Yeovil heroin addict stole food to fund next hit after being ordered into rehab by court (Somerset Live)
