A young woman who made her great aunt’s life an absolute misery begging for food, cash, and drink, has been back in court.

Kennedy Bradley breached her restraining order within days of being released from prison when repeatedly turned up at her great aunt’s address despite being banned from approaching her.

The drug addict was back in court for harassing her victim when she repeatedly telephoned the victim or called round to her Middlesbrough home between June 27 and July 3 this year, Teesside Crown Court heard.

The 25-year-old has previously been locked up for breaching the restraining order designed to protect her victim - who brought the defendant up as a child - from her persistent harassment.

Peter Sabiston, prosecuting, said Bradley would put her hand through the letterbox and shout to her great aunt asking for food or money.

He said she would turn up at the house in Middlesbrough at all times of the day and night.

In the victim's personal statement, the woman said she just wanted Bradley to leave her alone to get on with her life in peace.

And she had been forced to move out of her home as a result of the stalking and harassment.

Bradley, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to breaching her restraining order on five occasions and a second charge of stalking.

Michele Turner, mitigating, said her client was now free from drugs since being remanded in custody following her arrest and had been allocated with an adult social worker to help her when she is released.

“She was in the grip of addiction when the offending started,” she said. “There was no real offending until 2020 when that addiction got out of control.”

See more court stories from The Northern Echo by clicking here

Get all the latest crime and court updates, for less than the price of a coffee, with a Premium Plus digital subscription to The Northern Echo. Click here

Miss Turner said Bradley was working with addiction and mental health services for the first time whilst she has been in custody.

Recorder Ashley Serr sentenced the mother-of-one to 16 months in custody suspended for 18 months.

He said: “Your conduct has been of great distress to her, she has become hyper vigilant and unsettled and is always worried that you will return.”

Bradley was ordered to attend 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days, complete a six-month drug referral order and was barred from entering the street where her great aunt lives for an additional 18 months.