A MOTHER from Chard said she can ‘start a fresh life’ after being spared jail for supplying heroin which killed her partner.

Sophie Ella Plyer, 26, of Furnham Road, pleaded guilty to supplying Class A drugs when she appeared at Taunton Crown Court in February.

Judge David Ticehurst deferred sentencing in March for six months to allow Plyer to give birth to her baby girl and she was in the dock again yesterday morning (Tuesday).

Plyer was given a two-year community order and after her sentencing, she told the News: “I am relieved – it is a fresh start for me and my little girl.

“It has been hard but I always had my little girl to support me and my family have been amazing.

“I wanted to turn my life around because I want to give my little girl the best start in life.”

As the News reported on March 12, Plyer had called the ambulance service shortly after 9.30am on August 1 last year to say her partner, Aaron Bristow, had overdosed and was not breathing.

Despite paramedics’ best efforts, he could not be revived and post mortem results showed the cause of death was acute morphine toxicity.

In sentencing, Judge David Ticehurst said: “You are a good example of the damage and dangers that drugs cause to society.

“When you last appeared you did so as someone heavily involved with drugs and abuse. You had a serious drug problem – one of the real dangers of illegal drugs is because they can cause death and destruction.”

The judge said Plyer played a lesser role in the incident and added that it was gratifying to see she had broken her addiction.

He added: “You are coping well and I am not going to do anything to interfere with that. A community order of two years is the best way of dealing with you – you will be supervised and you will do everything they tell you to.

“There will be no unpaid work because I think that would set you up to fail. Keep out of trouble and do not turn up in front of the courts again. Look after your little girl.”