Mum forged prescriptions to obtain drugs

Saturday 09 September 2023

A mother who faked prescriptions to obtain drugs has been spared prison but told: "You can’t go and help yourself to drugs."

Charis Clark-Andrews, who admitted forging and submitting forged documents for five different drugs, was given a suspended sentence by Magistrate Bridget Shaw to allow her to continue looking after her children.

Crown Advocate Lauren Taylor said Clark-Andrews had used the forged prescriptions between 14 January and 31 March this year to obtain the Class C drugs diazepam, tramadol and zopiclone, the Class B drug dihydrocodeine, and the Class A drug oxycodone.

"False prescriptions were presented at various pharmacies," she said.

Clark-Andrews entered an early guilty plea and Advocate Sarah Dale, defending, added: "This is out of character for Ms Clark-Andrews.

"She was really struggling with her mental health problems at the time."

Magistrate Bridget Shaw told Clark-Andrews: "Drugs can cause considerable harm if not used in the right way.

"You can’t go and help yourself to drugs – and that is effectively what you were doing.

"You are very lucky that nothing serious happened."

She imposed a six-month sentence and suspended it for 12 months, and said: "If it weren’t for your children you would be going straight to prison."