A Devon man threw away his £100,000 inheritance in just 12 months to feed his drug habit, Devon Live news reported this week.

Hassan Kingston, also known as Jake Miles, was seen by a member of the public taking drugs in his car in Paignton. The police were alerted and arrived to find tablets in the car and a packet of heroin in Kingston’s pants.

Exeter Crown Court heard that initially, the police believed Kingston was dealing drugs, due to the amount found on him. However, they later discovered that he had a healthy bank account because his late father had left him £100,000 in his Will.

‘Tragedy’

The judge sentencing Kingston said that it was a “tragedy” that he had spent all his inheritance in such a short time.

Kingston admitted possession of heroin and was given a community order by Judge Peter Johnson.

The offence took place in December 2018. A member of the public had seen Kingston in his VW Passat doing what they believed to be taking drugs. When police officers arrived, they found Kingston asleep in his car. When woken, it was clear he was under the influence of something. The officers searched the car and found 28 dihydrocodeine tablets (a Class B drug), three diazepam tablets (a Class C Drug), and buprenorphine, (another Class C drug).

Potential street value of £2,800

They arrested Kingston and while he was in custody, the officers discovered the heroin with its potential street value of £2,800.

He told the police he was homeless at the time and living in his car. Kingston had 18 previous convictions, many of them for theft and drug possession.

William Parkhill, defending, said his client’s adult life had been blighted by a heroin addiction. However, he had showed progress in recent years. He went on to say that Kingston had wasted the money that had been “hard earned” by his father, and that it was a “crying shame” that he hadn’t been able to find a different path for himself.

Judge Johnson conclude that it was a tragedy that the £100,000 was now gone.

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