Heroin addict 'lost his best friend to drugs'

David Mark Watson (24), unemployed, of Caman Crescent, has still 2,000 to pay back.

He pleaded guilty to seven charges of dishonestly making a false representation by presenting withdrawal slips at the First Trust Bank, Ballycastle, with the intention to cause a loss to Peter Watson.

The court was told Peter Watson got the money back from the bank through insurance and the loss was eventually incurred by the bank to which David Watson is now paying back the money.

The defence lawyer said Watson “pretended to act as his brother” to get the money.

The defence lawyer said his client has had a “very difficult time” regarding his heroin addiction and was on medication which wasn’t working and he wanted to be put on methadone which he is now using.

He said the offences occurred before that happened.

The lawyer said Watson suffered the loss of his best friend through an overdose and as such has seen the tragic consequences of addiction.

The lawyer added that the heroin use also led his client into criminality.

When Watson interrupted Mr Wilson to say he had paid back an amount of the money, the District Judge asked him: “Do you think you should deserve a Victoria Cross for that?”

Mr Wilson agreed to defer sentencing for six months until July 23 but said if Watson did not continue to pay back the money or co-operate with Addiction Services he will go “straight to prison”.