Susan Newcombe was in Medway Maritime Hospital for an operation

by Lynn Cox

A hospital patient was caught with a syringe full of heroin smuggled to her in a box of chocolates.

Susan Newcombe, 41, was in Medway Maritime Hospital for an operation when visitors brought her the sweets, a court heard.

But as nurses helped her to the toilet later, they discovered the dirty syringe between her thighs.

Newcombe, who has been a drug addict for almost 20 years, pleaded guilty to possessing heroin when she appeared before Medway magistrates.

Katherine Lewis, defending, said: "She was clean for three years but her daughter died in a car accident and she started using again.

"She is trying to get clean and was on a methadone script, but thehospital could not give her any and this is why she had the heroin on her.

"the blame lies with the person who brought it in for you, that was a stupid person..." – magistrate sandra paine

"She is now back on [methadone] and started it last week."

Newcombe, of Mill Road, Gillingham, earlier admitted stealing bags full of items that had been left outside the British Heart Foundation shop in Gillingham High Street.

Newcombe and Ian Miles, 42, of the same address, were walking home late at night when they spotted the bags and decided to take them.

During that court appearance, magistrates heard Newcombe has more than 30 convictions.

She was given a nine-month community order for the theft offence.

Now magistrates have given Newcombe a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered her to pay £85 court costs.

Chairman of the bench Sandra Paine said: "You were in hospital - this is despicable.

"The blame lies with the person who brought it in for you, that was a stupid person.

"Shame on the person who brought it in for you."

A spokesman for Medway NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Medway Maritime Hospital, said: "If we see illegal activity we report it to the police."