A mother from Dover who was jailed for a year after imprisoning her junkie daughter in her bedroom to stop her getting drugs has failed to persuade top judges to free her.

Kent County Council worker, Julia Saker 50, of Malvern Road, Temple Ewell, along with a family friend, bound her crack and heroin-addicted 18-year-old daughter, Tabitha, with gaffer tape and belts as she struggled to leave to get to her drug supplier.

Saker then left her daughter alone with the family friend, who administered a beating which left the girl bruised around the face and neck.

The mother was jailed for 12 months at Maidstone Crown Court on January 13 after admitting false imprisonment.

Today Patrick Lawrence QC, on her behalf, asked London’s Criminal Appeal Court, to overturn that sentence.

The barrister argued she had only acted as any loving mother would have done and asked the court to replace her jail term with a non-custodial sentence.

He said Saker had "reached the end of her tether" after finding that all of her own and her mother’s jewellery had been stolen and pawned by her daughter and that £1,000 cash had also been taken to pay for drugs.

"She regards herself as a loving mother who has cared for her children for 20 years," he said.

Mr Justice Cooke, who was sitting with two other judges, expressed sympathy for Saker, saying: "We understand that she was doing her best in a tremendously difficult situation."

"We cannot however say that the judge was wrong in concluding that only a sentence of immediate imprisonment was justified."