Cocaine user stole from her mother to pay off drug debts (From Darlington and Stockton Times)

Cocaine user stole from her mother to pay off drug debts

2:37pm Saturday 16th March 2013 in News By Neil Hunter

A DEBT-RIDDEN cocaine user took money from her mother's account to pay off her dealer, a court heard.

Hollie Thomas stole £1,700 by ringing Barclaycard and pretending to be her mother throughout last year.

Teesside Crown Court she also took watches belonging to her parents and pawned them for more money.

Kieran Rainey, mitigating, said the pregnant 24-year-old felt "a high degree of shame" for her dishonest actions.

He told Judge Peter Bowers: "She felt a great deal of pressure and can only apologise for what she did."

Thomas, of Hardy Grove, Billingham, near Stockton, admitted fraud and got a two-year conditional discharge.

Judge Bowers told her: "It must have been a great sadness to your parents when you got yourself involved in drugs.

"I am pleased you are now clean and back home with them . . . I don't expect you to be in trouble again."