Pensioner took prostitute to work

06 November 2009

A PENSIONER plucked a prostitute off the 'violent' streets of Bristol and fed her heroin habit at his Worle home until she died of her addiction, a court has heard.

Douglas Wright admitted shelling out 'thousands of pounds' over five years on drugs for Christine Browne before her death at the age of 37.

Mr Wright, who is in his 70s, even drove the mother-of-two back to the city so she could sell sex to fund her habit, Flax Bourton Coroners Court was told on Friday.

Giving evidence in front of eight members of Ms Browne's family, he said she 'passed away' in his arms on December 27 two years ago as he tried to move her to the bedroom they shared in Cherrywood Rise.

Mr Wright denied the angry relatives' accusation that he injected the dose that killed her, but admitted supplying it.

Ms Browne had been a prostitute in the Fishponds area of Bristol before Mr Wright offered her a home in 2002.

The family said he had been negligent in taking her back to Bristol and asked why he did not seek professional help.

When they were given the chance to ask questions of the pensioner, one of Ms Browne's brothers said: "You said it was a violent society that she was involved with in Bristol, that doesn't sound like somebody trying to look after her."

Earlier, the court had heard how Ms Browne, a former shop manager, had barely seen her relations for nine years after a severe bout of post-natal depression led her to leave a stable marriage in Weston.

She became addicted to heroin after moving in with a man in Barton Hill, Bristol, before turning to life as a prostitute.

It was in Fishponds that the Irish woman met Mr Wright when he became one of her clients.

Mr Wright said: "She was going through a very hard time and somebody was bashing her about and making her go out to work for her heroin.

"I felt really sorry for her and offered her a room in my house, which she thought was a good idea because she wanted to get out of Bristol."

He said he had to take her to the city to work because he fell behind with bills and could not bear to see her without drugs.

In the weeks leading up to her death, Ms Browne would consume between one and six wraps of heroin each day, the court was told.

North Somerset deputy coroner Terry Moore recorded a verdict of drug dependence and a case of acute morphine toxicity.