A HAPLESS heroin addict reached “rock bottom” at the time she fell for a police sting and supplied undercover officers with heroin on a near daily basis, a court heard.

Charlie Ann Wheeler was one of 13 people suspected of involvement in the supply of class A and B drugs arrested in Durham Police raids in Horden and Peterlee, on August 1.

Three addresses targeted by officers, as part of the ongoing Sledgehammer operation targeting those involved in the drug trade, were terraced houses in Eleventh Street.

Durham Crown Court heard it was the home visited by one of two undercover officers seven times to make test purchases of heroin, in May.

Peter Sabiston, prosecuting, said, posing as addicts, they asked locally where they could buy heroin and were pointed in the direction of Wheeler’s home.

On the first visit to make a purchase Wheeler told them if they wanted further transactions to call at her home.

Mr Sabiston said on each of the seven visits between May 14 and 29, they bought one or two wraps, each weighing between 357 and 422mg, for £20.

When she was arrested earlier this month she was unhelpful and claimed the use of heroin herself had affected her memory.

Appearing via video link from Low Newton Women’s Prison, near Durham, 25-year-old Wheeler admitted seven counts of supplying a class A drug.

The court heard she has no previous convictions for drug supply, but many for “acquisitive” crime, stealing to make money to pay for her drug use.

Neil Bennett, mitigating, said: “At 25 it’s a pretty sad state of affairs. She was exposed to drug use from a young age and from 11 used cannabis.

“Despite that she successfully obtained seven GCSEs and got a college placement to begin an NVQ course.”

But, Mr Bennett said she fell into a relationship with a heroin user and, mixing in his peer group, became addicted to the Class A drug.

Despite previous efforts to overcome the addiction, she lapsed and fell back into her former habit.

“Heroin abuse has blighted her life for the last five years or so.

“She tells me that this is her at ‘rock bottom’, ‘as bad as it can be’.”

He added that while in custody she has begun to engage with the in-house service seeking to overcome substance misuse.

Jailing her for two years and four months, Judge Christopher Prince said she played, “a significant role” in dealing heroin at street level to fund her own addiction, adding: “You were selling for profit, to buy more drugs.”