AN 18-year-old girl who stole £3,000-worth of copper needed the money for drugs, Ely magistrate s court heard. Leandra Roys, from Abbotts Way, Ely, stole the stash of copper wire from a disused garage on March 21. She didn t realise it was worth that m

AN 18-year-old girl who stole £3,000-worth of copper needed the money for drugs, Ely magistrate's court heard.

Leandra Roys, from Abbotts Way, Ely, stole the stash of copper wire from a disused garage on March 21.

"She didn't realise it was worth that much - copper is obviously quite a valuable item nowadays," her solicitor Keith Mkanda said in Roys' defence.

The court heard how Miss Roys, the daughter of two alcoholics, had left home aged 16 and spent time living on the street, and got involved in drug use.

She has since been taken in by her boyfriend's family in Ely.

Miss Roys was also charged with theft of an MP3 player, failing to pay a fixed penalty for stealing a £13 child's toy from Tesco, and the harassment of Bettina Bier.

Pleading guilty to all the charges, Roys was given 60 hours of unpaid work, a 12 month community order and a 12-month supervision order by magistrates. "We hope that your drug problem will be addressed," magistrate Kathy Bradney told the defendant.