Recovering heroin addict wants his life back
A recovering drug addict recently made an emotional appeal to magistrates in Newbury, during which he explained how his life had fallen apart following his addiction to heroin.
On Thursday 13th February Greg Little appeared before Newbury magistrates after stealing £66.39-worth of meat from a BP service station on 15th January. He is already serving a 21-month suspended sentence. Mr Little admitted stealing the meat and the breach of his current sentence.
Mr Little has been receiving help from Turning Point, a drug rehabilitation organisation that helps addicts to turn their lives around after overcoming their addiction. Turning Point praised Mr Little’s efforts to rebuild his life.
Mr Little told the court that he had been addicted to heroin for ten years and that he had been to prison on a number of occasions. In the past he would come out and go back on drugs; however, things are now different. He explained: “I’m really motivated. I’ve realised that I only have a number of years left to make something of myself and to regain the respect of my family and friends.”
He continued: “If you agree not to send me to prison today I will continue working with Turning Point and providing clean specimens when tested.” Mr Little wants to get his problems sorted and to get his life back, adding: “I don’t want to lose all the gains I’ve made.”
Magistrates’ guidelines are to activate suspended sentences unless there is a just reason not to do so. In Mr Little’s case they ruled that he could be better helped by keeping him out of prison and continuing to work with Turning Point and other voluntary organisations.
Presiding magistrate Sue Campbell told Mr Little: “We are impressed by the letter from Turning Point and we have been impressed by you and your eloquence.” The court accepted that the offence was an act of desperation and that it was motivated by hunger rather than the need for drugs.
Mr Little was a man who had everything: a good job, a home and a supportive wife. Drug addiction took all this away from him and now he is fighting every day to regain some of what he has lost.