Heroin addict stole £1,500 for drugs

DESPERATE to feed his heroin addiction, Adrian Powell used a credit card from The Old Vicarage Residential Home in Littleport to obtain £1,500 for drugs. He was in a relationship with Linnea Paling when he took the card from her bedroom, and withdrew mone

DESPERATE to feed his heroin addiction, Adrian Powell used a credit card from The Old Vicarage Residential Home in Littleport to obtain £1,500 for drugs.

He was in a relationship with Linnea Paling when he took the card from her bedroom, and withdrew money from a cash machine.

At an earlier court hearing, Powell, 32, admitted stealing three sums of cash between April 17-22, and asked for four similar offences to be taken into consideration.

After Ely magistrates read a report this week, they gave him a one-year community order with a drug rehabilitation requirement, and told him to take part in a substance abuse programme with the probation service. He must pay £55 costs.

When Ms Paling first realised the card had been used during April, she thought the card had been lost, said Francesca Devine, prosecuting. She then discovered the card was still her bedroom, and the police were alerted.

When arrested, Powell, of Willow Court, Littleport, admitted using the card. He had been desperate to feed his heroin habit, and after withdrawing the money he put the card back in Ms Paling's bedroom. A total of £1,500 was taken from the Old Vicarage's account.

Solicitor Jacqui Baldwin said Powell had co-operated with the police and was remorseful.