A DRUG addict who pestered her great aunt for money to fund her habit has been jailed after breaching a restraining order.

Kennadie Bradley repeatedly telephoned the victim or called round to her Middlesbrough home to beg for cash.

The 22-year-old ignored the restraining order on six occasions – twice on March 29 and four times on April 13 – just weeks after it was imposed to protect her great aunt.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the drug addict continued to target her relative despite knowing that her partner was suffering from serious illness.

Antony Pettengall, prosecuting, said the victim would call her niece for help whenever Bradley turned up on her doorstep.

He said the first breach happened when Bradley called her victim's landline using a withheld number and when the woman realised who was on the phone she begged her not to 'start this' when she asked to borrow cash.

Mr Pettengall said: "The second breach the defendant attended the address and knocked on the door; when the door was opened the defendant had crossed to the other side of the road and shouted something before being told to go away.

"She was told that the police were going to be called and she shouted the victim was a 'grass'. The victim's niece arrived in her car and the defendant started arguing with her."

The next four breaches involved the defendant calling the victim and asking for money before coming round to her house.

In a victim impact statement, the woman said: "It has got a lot worse in the last year as my husband's health has deteriorated and Kennadie's drug problem has become stronger – she has made us prisoners in our own home.

"We have to sit in the house at all times with the door locked because she would turn up at all times of the day or night demanding money."

Bradley, of Norcliffe Street, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to six breached of her restraining order which was imposed in February to stop her harassing her great aunt for money.

Emma Williams, representing Bradley, said her client was responding well to drug treatment whilst in custody and accepted that her behaviour was upsetting her family.

She said a suspended sentence imposed on Bradley for similar offences was activated when she was remanded in custody in April.

Judge Howard Crowson said the persistent calls were an aggravating factor as he sentenced her to eight months in custody.

"This order was supposed to stop you going to see her and to stop you upsetting her and less than six weeks after it was made, you broke it," he said.

He added: "Suspended sentences have been tried and failed, community orders have been tried and failed; and you have just heard the way it is affecting your great aunt."