Greater Manchester Probation Trust

Offender Turns Life Around, Supported By GMPT

SIMON pledged to turn his life around when he appeared at Magistrate’s court and fully appreciated the impact his drug use was having on his family.
The 28-year-old, from Wigan, had been abusing a powerful cocktail of drugs for several years, including cannabis, cocaine and prescription opiates.
The life-style eventually culminated in Simon losing control and assaulting a police officer during a drug induced psychosis.
Having successfully completed his order, with help from the Greater Manchester Probation Trust he has managed to remain drug-free and is now actively seeking employment.

Simon said: “I used to stay up from Friday until Sunday taking drugs, if I didn’t make it into work on Monday that was fine by me, I either took sick leave or got the sack.
“I was running away from my problems, but I took it to extremes and it ended up catching up with me.
“When I stood in court and saw my mother’s face when the prosecution read out what had happened, I knew then I had to stop.”
Everything began to unravel on a night in May, 2008, after Simon started tripping and thought he was being persued. It was the culmination of five years of drug taking that had began with cannabis in his mid-teens, before taking cocaine when he was 21.
He said: “I began making cups of tea for people who weren’t there, then went up to my bedroom because I thought people were chasing me.
“I panicked, ran outside and began smashing car windows so I could get in a car and drive away. I can’t even drive, I’ve no idea what I was thinking.
“I then assaulted a copper. I accept I did it, but I don’t remember what was happening.”
Simon was sentenced to a 15 month Community Order for assaulting a police officer and put on a Drug Rehabilitation Requirement and was almost sectioned under the mental health act.
The father-of-two said: “I’m glad it happened, it made me see my life for what it was.
“It was stressful because my mum was really worried about me and seeing how she took it in court was hard, but that’s when I made up my mind to stop taking drugs.
“She had known I was taking drugs, but she didn’t know the full story. She was really good to me.”
Elaine Jones, a probation officer based at Atherton, was assigned to Simon, and he made rapid progress.
He said: “I’d never been on probation, but Elaine was great because I could talk to her and she’d really listen to me. Even now that I’ve finished probation, I’ve called her for advice about things.
“I think I was on the right path after I appeared in court because I’d made up my mind to quit, but when I came off drugs I needed other things to fill the time with. The first thing she helped me with was signing me up to a gym.
“I lacked confidence, but I wanted to go boxing, and she helped register me at the gym. It was the one Amir Khan used and I met his trainer. It all helped motivate me and get me fit.”
Simon has started playing Rugby League again, and regularly turns out for an amateur team in Wigan. His ambition is to launch his own tiling company.
He said: “Quitting drugs was hard, stopping coccaine and cannabis was the hardest and I had lots of sleepless nights and crazy dreams.
“Elaine kept me busy with the gym, college and voluntary work, and took my mind off the drugs. She also helped me with visiting rights for my children.”
Elaine was full of praise for Simon.
She added: “He knew the court appearance was his last chance to change, and he seized it and it’s a hell of an achievement to remain drug free – very, very few achieve total abstenance.
“To do that you have to break your patterns and routines, it takes guts. I am immensely proud of Simon.”
He added: “If anyone wants help, probation is good, but if you approach it in a half-hearted fashion there’s no point. For me it was brilliant, and offered real support.”