A father who shopped his heroin addict son to the police has spoken of his relief after the youngster was locked up.

However, Jeff Smith is distraught at the lengths he had to go to get his son the help he so desperately needed.

The father, of Nelson Road, Basildon, begged police to arrest Gavin, 20, in a bid to save his life after his heroin addiction spiralled out of control.

Basildon magistrates on Wednesday sentenced Gavin to four months of youth custody after he admitted stealing from his family and shoplifting.

After the hearing Mr Smith, 54, said he hoped the sentence would help Gavin turn his life around - but criticised the lack of resources which forced him to take such a desperate step.

Gavin's first step on the road to heroin addiction came after older brother Paul was stabbed to death by a paranoid schizophrenic five years ago. He was just 20.

Mr Smith said: "The schizophrenic is in a prison hospital, which is like a holiday camp compared to what Gavin has been through.

"Gavin's a heroin addict because he can't help himself. But there's nothing to help him. The only course left open to me was to get him put in prison."

"Everyone - the police, hospital staff, the probation service, his doctor and the prison service - has been really helpful, but the resources just aren't there."

Mark Pearson, defending, told magistrates that the three weeks Gavin had already spent at Chelmsford Prison had made him realise the depths he had sunk to.

While there he had been put in contact with a proper detoxification programme.

Gavin had threatened to stab himself when police arrived at the family home to arrest him, Mr Pearson added, but now accepted that his father only wanted to help him.

Mr Smith said later: "It's only because he's in prison that he's managed to come off drugs.

"Hopefully he can make a new start when he comes out."

My son - Jeff Smith tries to get Gavin through the agony at the height of his addiction two years ago

Picture: MAXINE CLARKE

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