A woman who became addicted to medication has been sentenced after she and her partner admitted faking prescriptions.

Appearing at Thames Magistrates Court on Friday, Faiza Virani was sentenced to six weeks in jail, suspended for 12 months, for fraud, while her husband, Farid Fazal, was ordered to carry out 100 hours unpaid work.

The court heard how Virani, of Wadley Road in Leytonstone, had first been prescribed the insomnia drug Zolpidem in 2000 while battling depression.

The 41-year-old became addicted to the drug and her relationship with her GP was said to have broken down.

It was on August 19 this year, Fazal, 40, delivered a prescription to Leyton Orient Pharmacy in Oliver Road.

Staff in the pharmacy became suspicious and called police.

Upon their arrival, Mr Fazal, also of Wadley Road, admitted that, in a ‘desperate’ attempt to help his wife, he had been collecting prescriptions which she had printed from the internet and filled out by faking her doctor’s signature.

Mrs Virani’s lawyer described her addiction as “not of her own doing”, as she became addicted after being prescribed the tablets.

A tearful Mrs Virani, who the court was told will soon travel to India to detox, was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £60.

Fazal was also charged £85 court costs and a £60 victim surcharge.