A HEROIN addict conned a man out of thousands of pounds with the help of two accomplices, a court was told yesterday.

Teesside Crown Court heard how Emma Abbott, 27, of no fixed abode, had moved in with a man known as Mr A after he offered to help her get off heroin.

But she stayed on drugs and the East Durham man took out a loan of £7,500 to fund her £60 a day habit.

With the help of David Patterson, 39, of Tankerville Street, Hartlepool, and Russell Saunders, 45, of Portman Street, Middlesbrough, Abbot duped cash out of him by pretending to have been kidnapped.

She said she was being held against her will because of drugs debts in Leeds and needed cash before she could be set free. The same scam was used twice in January but the man went to the police because he had no more money.

He feared Abbott had been kidnapped and was in danger.

Mr A was also the victim of two break-ins where his house was ransacked and goods and credit cards stolen.

These were used to dishonestly buy items from Binns and Debenhams in December 2002 and January this year.

All three admitted conspiracy to steal. Saunders also admitted two charges of theft and six counts of obtaining by deception. It was decided that blackmail charges against all three would lie on file.

Abbott was jailed for 18 months while the two men each received two-year sentences.