A DRUG addict who relapsed within days of being released from prison has asked a judge to keep him locked up so he would not be tempted to take heroin.

Lee Sutton, of no fixed abode but previously of Edmunds Road, Banbury, was before Judge Peter Ross at Oxford Crown Court yesterday after a series of breaches to conditions for a conviction of supplying or offering to supply Class A drugs.

He was sentenced on August 2 with conditions of a 36 month community order, 15 month drug order and 30 days of drugs rehabilitation.

The court heard the 47-year-old failed to attend rehabilitation appointments on August 2, 16, 28 and September 2.

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Gordana Turudija-Austin, in mitigation, said he had been due to live with a friend but discovered he had become 'heavily addicted' to drugs and was then left 'sofa surfing', with a boat he used to live in also found to have been stolen while he was in prison.

She added after he missed one drug appointment he had his methadone prescription cancelled and could not get another one unless he tested positive for drugs, which would breach his court conditions.

Ms Turudija-Austin said: "This left him in something of a catch-22 situation."

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Judge Ross said he was 'unsurprised' to learn what had happened and it was 'unfortunate' a previous conviction meant Sutton would not be accepted onto any residential drug rehabilitation plans.

From the witness box, Sutton admitted he had taken heroin as recently as Monday of that week and said he found himself 'in a pickle' after he was released from prison in August, adding it would be 'sensible' to keep him in prison over the weekend.

Judge Ross agreed and adjourned the hearing until Monday when drug rehabilitation service Turning Point would be attending court and could speak with Sutton.