"I did inject tragic Kyle Bates with heroin"

A WOMAN who injected a 16-year-old boy with heroin has been jailed for three years.

Kyle Bates was found dead in the Hafod home he shared with his adopted mother, Sandra Micaleff.

Helen Harding, of Glanmor Street, Sketty, admitted  injecting him with heroin so as to endanger life, after handing herself in at Swansea Central Police Station. 

She told police officers she wanted Kyle's biological family to know the truth about his death.

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Swansea Crown Court heard Kyle was a known user of heroin and amphetamines.

Harding, who also admitted a charge of perjury, said Miss Micaleff had asked her to give a syringe of drugs to Kyle and she eventually agreed.

She said Miss Micaleff, and Harding's now ex-husband, Jonathan, held Kyle down while she injected the drug into his arm at on January 29, 2008.

Later that morning Kyle died  of bronchial pneumonia, his inquest, held in 2009, was told.

But, following his death and at his inquest, Harding, 40, told police officers she had not given Kyle any drugs.

She was first arrested in May 2008 on suspicion of supplying drugs to Kyle, a month after his mother was also arrested. 

The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed no charges had been brought against either Mr Harding or Miss Micaleff.

Nicola Powell, prosecuting at Swansea Crown Court, said Harding eventually admitted finding Kyle in bed with black lips and patchy skin.

She said she was shaking and Kyle's mother said: "You do it. Just do it."

After she gave him the drug he smiled before looking away and saying: "Help. Just tell her no".

Janet Gedrych, representing Harding, said her client's  drug use was "out of control" and she had been struggling with feelings of guilt before she confessed.

 She said the drug had not caused Kyle's death and Harding had given it to him to alleviate his pain.

Addressing Harding, Judge Keith Thomas said: "Kyle was a boy of 16 and his life was ahead of him. 

"You were responsible, perhaps, with others, for injecting him with heroin," he added.

She was jailed for two years for administering  heroin and a consecutive 12 month sentence for perjury.

ruth.mosalski@swwmedia.co.uk