by Paul Hooper

A woman whose drug addiction landed her own mother with a jail sentence, has been given a stark warning by a judge:“You are going to kill yourself!”

Tabitha Saker’s body is so damaged by needles she can’t find anywhere to inject herself with heroin.

And until the day before her latest appearance at Canterbury Crown Court the 21-year-old had FAILED every single drug test.

Now Saker, of Malvern Road, Temple Ewell has been told by Judge Michael O’Sullivan: “You know you are going to kill yourself if you continue taking drugs. It is as serious as that and I think you know that!"

Saker managed to pass her latest drugs test – and now the judge has given her a month to prove she really wants to quit.

In the public gallery was her mother Julia, 51, who was sent to prison when – in desperation to stop her daughter buying drugs - she tied her up and gagged her.

The judge added: “Your mother must be suffering agony. Just think of her and what she has to go through when you next think about taking drugs.
“Drugs are sapping your life away.”

Prosecutor Jim Harvey said Saker had been given a community order in November 2011 for handling stolen goods.

"the fact you are having difficulty injecting yourself shows the depths that you have sunk to physically" – judge michael o'sullivan

But she had failed to turn up for a drugs test in June, didn’t show up for a meeting with drugs counsellors, ripped off her electronic tag in July and then breached her curfew order.

In July she was ordered to appear before Folkestone Magistrates on a shoplifting charge – but left before her case was called on.

Saker had gone into Morrisons Supermarket in Bridge Street Dover with an empty bag – and was spotted leaving with it stuffed with £40 worth of meat.

Mr Harvey told that after her arrest she told staff she had needles with her and pleaded with them not to call police.

When police were alerted, Saker walked out – and security staff took the decision not to stop her for fear of being injured by a needle.

Mr Harvey said: “Since the order there have been a number of positive drug tests up until August 8 which was negative. That is viewed by the probation service as potentially suggesting a commitment to her community order.”

The judge said one of Saker’s problems was her involvement with an older man which resulted in “real concerns for her safety”.

The judge said: “Keep away from those who want to sell you drugs. They are not your friends. They are your enemies.”

He then postponed sentence for a month for further drug testing, adding: “These are critical times for you in my judgement. If you can produce negative tests over the next four weeks you may well be on the road to recovery. I don’t know whether you will be able to do that. It might be asking too much.

“The fact you are having difficulty injecting yourself shows the depths that you have sunk to physically. Your mother is naturally concerned about you. I need to take a course which saves you from yourself.”

In February last year Mrs Saker was sent to prison for 12 months after she feared her daughter was leaving the house to meet a drug dealer