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Drug addict escapes jail for second time

A heroin addict found with thousands of pounds worth of drugs hidden in her deep freeze may escape jail for a second time.

Victoria Haywood had more than 800 grams of amphetamines as well as lists of names and numbers when police raided her Chippenham house.

But the 22-year-old, of Greenway Lane, claimed she was only looking after the drugs, worth £6,536, for someone else and not dealing in them herself.

She was put on a one year suspended jail term earlier this year on the condition she complete a drug rehabilitation order and did 150 hours of community service.

But six months on and the 22-year-old is back using heroin, has been breached by the probation service for not turning up and has done none of the community service.

And when she appeared at Swindon Crown Court for re-sentence a judge decided to adjourn the case to see if she was motivated to do the unpaid work.

Marcus Davey, prosecuting, told the hearing that the probation service sought to have the suspended sentence activated.

He said Haywood had failed to turn up for an appointment on April 10, less than two weeks after being sentenced, and again on May 3.

"Thereafter in relation to the drug rehabilitation requirement there were further absences which have resulted in her being discharged from that," he said.

"Currently the probation view is that Miss Haywood lacks the motivation and the request is for activation of the sentence."

However Chris Smyth, defending, said his client felt she was not getting the help she needed from the probation service.

"It does seem that the order that was set up did not really meet her needs in that she felt various deficiencies in the drug rehabilitation programme," he said.

He added that she had not done any of the community service as six days a week were taken up with appointments on the drugs and probation order.

Recorder Neil Ford QC said he was adjourning the case with her on bail to see if it was possible for Haywood to continue doing the community service.

He said: "The probation service can be told that the sole reason for the adjournment for a fresh report is to see whether it is considered viable for this order to continue on the basis that the defendant performs the unpaid work originally ordered."

Police raided Haywood's house under the Misuse of Drugs Act in December last year and found the drugs in the freezer.

At first she told officers she had forgotten about them but then claimed she was looking after them for someone else.

3:34pm Tuesday 18th September 2007

Print   Email this   Comment
Posted by: Desparate Dan, Wiltshire on 4:47pm Tue 18 Sep 07
However Chris Smyth, defending, said his client felt she was not getting the help she needed from the probation service.


Always someone elses fault isn't it!
Posted by: Yali on 6:11pm Tue 18 Sep 07
Why is the country wasting time on rubbish like her. Lock her up and throw the key away.
Posted by: Ged, Chippenham on 8:29pm Tue 18 Sep 07
aw bless. And keeping her out of Prison will achieve precisely what? Further opportunity to indulge in her favourite pastime!
Posted by: jb on 8:35pm Tue 18 Sep 07
put the cow on a chaingang and make her work
Posted by: who dat? on 8:57pm Tue 18 Sep 07
So Tony B-LIAR'S masterplan has succeeded - the lunatics really are running the asylum!!
Posted by: Calne Resident, Calne on 7:53am Wed 19 Sep 07
quote
He added that she had not done any of the community service as six days a week were taken up with appointments on the drugs and probation order.
What happened to the seventh day? Surely she could manage a couple of hours then, or do you get weekends off from community service?
Posted by: walter, wilshur on 10:19am Thu 20 Sep 07
The charge is POSSESSION, not ownership!!! How many more judges are going to let women off in return for a smile and a wiggle of the tits?
Posted by: hunter, corsham on 1:27pm Thu 20 Sep 07
Judges really are the ones that need locking up in todays world...their the ones that are a bloody danger to the public!!
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