Disabled woman turned to crime after overdose left her in a coma

Wheelchair-bound Kelly Cooper, 38, of Broomhill Road, had a leg amputated after an accident in 2013.

And her problems intensified last year when she suffered a fall and sustained fractures in her spine, Nottingham Magistrates’ Court was told.

“Everything got too much for her and she took an an enormous amount of painkillers, which meant she had to be rushed to hospital,” said Cooper’s solicitor, Arwen Makin, mitigating.

Not long afterwards, she was caught shoplifting three times and was arrested to bring to an end a seven-year spell of ‘going straight’ and not being involved in any trouble.

Former drug-addict Cooper pleaded guilty to two charges of stealing a couple of portable DVD players, worth £118, from the Tesco Extra store on Jennison Street, Bulwell -- first on Wednesday, October 28 last year and then the following day. She also admitted stealing perfume gift sets, worth £263.20, from the Boots store in Nottingham’s Victoria Centre on Wednesday, November 11.

Mrs Makin told the court the accident “had a massive impact on her”. “She couldn’t cope with her daughter, who is now living with her grandmother,” she said.

“She reverted to drug use, which was quickly sorted out, but just before these offences, she fell over.

“While she was in her coma, she had to be taken off her methadone script. She returned to drugs and this is when the offences occurred.

“She is back on her methadone script now, but she still has a lot of anxiety and depression and is on medication. She is also dyslexic and can’t read or write.

“However, she is back on track now and looking very well.”

The chairman of the Bench told Cooper: “You are doing your best to deal with a very difficult situation, therefore we empathise with you.”

He sentenced her to a conditional discharge of 12 months and ordered her to pay £236 compensation to Tesco for the DVD players, which were never recovered. The gift sets were returned to Boots.