A Ramsgate trainee chemist has claimed she was forced into stealing £50,000 of drugs from her pharmacy after threats were made about her teenage daughter.

Anguished Carla Miles, 33, stole diazepam tablets for six months after alleging a gangster warned her 13-year-old child would be in danger.

Until January last year, Miles, of Turner Street, Ramsgate, had been planning to become a fully-trained pharmacist, Canterbury Crown Court was told.

But she admitted stealing 34,000 diazepam tablets from a branch of Paydens and supplying the controlled drugs.

Miles told the court during a short hearing how a man had grabbed her as she walked in Honeysuckle Road, Ramsgate.

She said: "The man grabbed hold of my left arm. He came out of nowhere. He knew where I worked in the pharmacy.

"He wouldn't think twice about hurting a young girl. He was ruthless and I believed he would hurt her..." - Carla Miles

"He knew who I was and he knew who my daughter was."

The man told her to get him "blues" - or diazepam tablets - but she initially refused.

Miles added: "He told me, 'It would be a shame if something happened to your beautiful daughter'."

The following day, she stole 10 packets of the drug. She thought the man was connected to a former partner, who is a drug addict.

She added: "He described the school my daughter went to and the route she took to get there. I didn't tell my employer or the police because I was scared for my daughter. He wouldn't think twice about hurting a young girl. He was ruthless and I believed he would hurt her.

"He must have been watching me. I was under so much pressure that I became ill."

Miles had worked for Paydens for 16 years and was a trusted employee, but she was caught taking the drugs on CCTV.

Her daughter told social services about her father’s drug taking and dealing and the man threatened Miles after her arrest.

Miles said: "I never received any money and never asked for any money. I did it out of fear."

The stolen drugs were worth £50,526 on the street, the court heard.

In desperation, Miles even ordered extra drugs to cover up for the losses.

Recorder George Pulman QC said: "The one person she deeply loves is her daughter. It was a credible threat. I'm satisfied that a man demanded drugs. Because her daughter was threatened her only gain was that her daughter was all right."

Sentencing her to 18 months in jail, he said that despite the threats she had abused her trusted position and used a degree of cunning to get the drugs.

He said her career was now in ruins.

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