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Man jailed after methadone supply to woman who died
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A man was today jailed for three years after being found guilty of selling his methadone to a woman who died as a result.
Graham Cox, 41, of Adamson Court, Hillgrounds Road, Kempston had pleaded not guilty to supplying the methadone to Sharon Thomson, who also lived at Adamson Court, in a different flat.
But a jury at Luton Crown Court found him guilty of the offence last month, along with possession of heroin, and today he was sentenced to imprisonment.
The court had been told that Cox had collected his weekly prescription, a 500ml bottle of methadone from a local pharmacy on Tuesday November 22, 2011.
Although he told police he had tossed the full bottle away in the communal bins unopened when he got back home, Sharon, 43, had told friends that she had bought the methadone from Cox during the week.
Friends had seen her drinking from the bottle and it was this bottle that was found on her bedside table on the afternoon of Sunday, 27 November.
Sharon, who had previously used the powerful drug, had died in her bed after drinking the methadone some time on Sunday morning.
She was discovered by a volunteer charity worker who was concerned about her and went to check on her in the afternoon.
Cox was arrested the same day, and a search of his flat revealed two wraps of heroin which he said were not his and some cannabis, which he admitted was his.
Cox was sentenced to three years for supplying the prescribed methadone to Sharon and to three months for possessing the heroin, running concurrently.
No separate penalty was made for possessing the cannabis.
Detective Sergeant Albert Freer said: “Cox has had a long history of committing crime to feed his own drug habit.
“He sold his bottle of prescription methadone to Sharon and that, combined with her other medication and alcohol, led to her untimely death.
“During the course of the investigation it became clear it was not the first time he had sold methadone and other prescription drugs to others who were drug dependant.
“Sharon’s family, including her older daughter, were in court to see Cox found guilty and I hope that it helps them to see him brought to justice for the contribution he made to her death.”
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Friday 24 May 2013
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