Court Reporting, Bournemouth 21-01-09 (University Assignment)

A heavily pregnant “drug addict” mother has been sentenced to 18 months imprisonment on numerous drug charges today.
Miss Julie Huntley was sentenced today for two charges of supplying heroin and one charge of buying heroin for herself. The pregnant mother’s baby is due in late March, and was the prime consideration in her sentencing.
Defence Barrister, Jonathon Simpson, said that Miss Huntley, a mother of eight, had “suffered enough” from her sixteen year drug addiction. Six of her children have been taken into adoption and two live with her Mother and Grandmother.
Mr Simpson claimed that Huntley wanted it to be known that she had “taken necessary contraceptive precautions,” but that “accidents do happen”.
Huntley has been held in custody for 83 days, with regular drug tests that have all come out clean. For this reason, Social Services see no reason why she can’t keep the baby, says Simpson. The defence claim she knows her baby is going to be a boy, and she has already named him.
Judge John Harrow acknowledged that Huntley needs “a proper opportunity to bond with the child” and therefore imposed the 18 month sentence in the East Wood Park Mother and Baby Facility.
Stuart Ellacott, the Prosecuting Barrister, said that although she had no previous drug related convictions, it should be taken into account that Huntley has previous charges of shop lifting.
Simpson told the court that Miss Huntley had been coerced by those more “influential and experienced
than her.” With good behaviour, Huntley will only spend her of her sentence in custody.