‘Night terrors’ made heroin user miss drug test

Toni Ann Price, 23, of Eastgate, Worksop, admitted missing appointments in October and November which were conditions of a community order made for a six shoplifting offences.

David Miles, prosecuting, said Price had also been caught on CCTV stealing six bottles of Fairy Liquid and a bottle of wine from Sainsbury’s in Worksop on November 7.

She tested positive for Class A drugs and was ordered to attend a meeting to determine if she was an addict on November 18 which she missed.

David Verity, defending, said: “She has been involved with a serious drug problem. The person she was in a relationship with unfortunately got her into drugs.

“She is desperate to sort it out sooner rather than later. She is a lady who does need a lot of help and support at the present time.”

He told the court that Price suffers from ‘night terrors’ which make her wake up screaming in the middle of the night and prevent her from getting back to sleep. On one occasion she slept in and missed the appointment and on another she simply forgot, he said.

She stole the Fairy Liquid, he said, to sell so she could buy heroin.

Cheryl Nisbet, of the probation service, said “I don’t want to see her go to prison but there must be a point where she starts working with the people who want to help her.”

Mansfield magistrates revoked the current order and re-sentenced her to 12 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, for the six shoplifting offences, and four weeks suspended for the November 7 thefts.

She was ordered to carry out a rehabilitation requirement for ten days and pay £30 compensation and a criminal courts charge of £150.