A woman whose desperate drug habit led her to con people for cash has died.
For many years Amanda Louise Futcher battled addiction but relapsed, causing her to take advantage of the kindness of strangers to stave off withdrawals.
Amanda Futcher
But her family remembers a “kind, loving, funny” girl who genuinely regretted the path her life had taken.
An inquest into Ms Futcher’s death, held at Reading Town Hall on Monday, May 11, heard her system finally succumbed to addiction to opiates and cocaine use.
The 44-year-old had even discharged herself from hospital as her kidneys and heart failed, the hearing was told.
The Newbury Weekly News and Newburytoday have documented her criminality over the years.
But her family has said they will remember her differently.
Despite her actions as she sank deeper into addiction, her father Stephen said after the hearing: “We know she did wrong but, in the end, she paid her debt to society.
“After getting involved with drugs she was in the grip of a terrible addiction… but when we were together as a family she was always kind and funny.
“She had her problems but she could also be kind to people.
“She is at peace now and the best memories I have of Amanda will remain that way.”
The inquest was told of a years-long struggle with substance abuse but that, ironically, Ms Futcher, who lived in the Newbury area for many years, had begun to turn a corner.
There had been no recent overdoses and a belated willingness to engage with the help offered.
But, tragically, it was too late.
Last summer she was admitted to the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading suffering from multiple conditions, including heart disease, kidney failure and other illnesses related to intravenous drug abuse.
Even then, the inquest heard, she discharged herself against the advice of doctors.
Ms Futcher was back in custody when she was discovered to be in a desperate condition and rushed back to hospital.
She was found to be suffering from ischemic heart disease, deep vein thrombosis and other conditions.
But a post mortem examination found she had died, at 8.32am last June 6, from a stroke.
Tests showed traces of fairly recent cocaine use, prescription medication and methadone – an opioid prescribed as a heroin substitute and addiction treatment.
Assistant Berkshire coroner Justine Spencer noted that Ms Futcher had demonstrated “improved contact” with health authorities in her final year, despite having discharged herself from hospital against medical advice.
She said the principal cause of death was a stroke accompanied by end stage kidney failure and heart disease as a consequence of intravenous illegal drug use.