The truly shocking impact of taking Class A drugs can be seen in the ravaged faces of addicts who ended up behind bars.
Heroin and crack cocaine use - the former now increasingly prevalent in Merseyside - fuels much of the crime dealt with in Liverpool’s courts.
From serial shoplifters and thieves to burglars and robbers, those in the thrall of hard drugs will often stop at nothing to fund their horrible habits.
That insatiable desire for the next hit sees innocent people across our communities suffer, whether its the direct victims of their crimes, or others indirectly affected, such as the addicts’ own families and children.
And those who flood our city with these evil drugs and enforce the brutal trade are often drawn into serious crime including gun and knife violence, adding to the utter misery blighting the region.
Here we take a look at criminals who were dealing with the effects of taking drugs when they fell foul of the law.
Leanda O'Hare
Leanda O'Hare showed "superhuman strength" when she threatened to stab a police officer with a kitchen knife .
The 42-year-old heroin addict struggled with a terrified female PC, who had only recently returned to duty after giving birth.
The victim feared she wouldn't see her husband or baby again when confronted by "wild" O'Hare "foaming at the mouth".
The drug-fuelled menace was sprayed with CS gas and hit with a baton, yet still managed to climb over a wall and escape .
Two officers went to arrest O'Hare at her home in Osborne Road, Birkenhead on the afternoon of September 30 this year.
The policewoman saw O'Hare - who has 42 convictions for 100 offences - in the backyard, who shouted: "Don't take me back."
She described a struggle when the suspect tried to slam a door on her arm, then to punch and bite her, when they fell to the floor.
Iain Criddle, prosecuting, said: "She describes the defendant being wild and foaming at the mouth and feels throughout the incident she had superhuman strength."
O'Hare grabbed a six-inch kitchen knife and yelled "get back or I will stab you" before escaping, despite a further struggle.
She was jailed for 12 months after admitting assault with intent to resist arrest and possessing a knife in public.
David Ball
Crack cocaine addict David Ball murdered a defenceless dad-of-one by shooting him in the stomach with a crossbow.
The 50-year-old denied killing Lee Atkins, 38, following a day-long drugs and alcohol bender, in a shocking trial.
Prosecutors alleged it was a "revenge" attack, after the pair had brawled outside their friend Kevin Riley's house.
Ball, of Brookhill Close, Bootle, claimed his crossbow "just went off" and said he apologised after the "accident".
But he repeatedly changed his account and lost his cool when questioned over why he fled and left his victim to die.
During the trial, Ball told Richard Pratt, QC, prosecuting, to "shut up", and later called the lawyer a "f***ing weapon".
Asked "how did you show you were sorry?" he said: "What do you want me to do? Buy him a box of Milk Tray to say I'm sorry?"
Ball was unanimously found guilty of the murder, in the early hours of bank holiday Monday, May 6 this year, after a 14-day trial.
The fatal shot was fired by Ball in Monfa Road, Bootle, near Mr Riley's Netherton Road house, at around 2am.
Ball was jailed for life with a minimum of 27 years.
Neil McMinn
Heroin addict Neil McMinn tried to smuggle £3,000 of heroin into prison by hiding it up his bum.
But the drugs, which were worth many thousands of pounds in prison, were discovered at Wirral Custody Suite.
McMinn had handed himself in as he knew there was a warrant for his arrest in Kilmarnock for a fraud offence.
Ironically he was subsequently just fined for that offence, but his plan was to be taken to prison with the stash.
The 39-year-old, formerly of Water Street, Wallasey, went to the police on November 21 last year and was searched.
He had cigarette papers in his waistband and officers put him in a cell with a toilet with an inspection chamber.
They found two knotted balloons, containing two more balloons, with 50% pure heroin mixed with paracetamol and caffeine inside.
McMinn told police he was taking the drugs, which had a street value of £3,200, with him for his own use and also to sell in jail.
He admitted possessing the drugs with intent to supply and was jailed for four and a half years.
Daniel Chadburn
Daniel Chadburn repeatedly targeted a disabled OAP's house while he slept - even watching TV in his house .
The "deplorable" burglar, 28, of no fixed address, continually raided the elderly man's home in Widnes earlier this year.
On one of those nights in question, the pensioner awoke to find Chadburn watching programmes in the living room.
Chadburn left when asked to do so, but he returned to steal cash and cigarettes, again as the pensioner slept.
Further money went missing from the house and, in a bid to catch him in the act, plain clothes police officers were deployed to the home.
The drug addict was finally caught and admitted three counts of burglary, one of theft and another of resisting arrest.
He was jailed for three years and four months.
Stuart Ogilvie
Heroin addict Stuart Ogilvie robbed a 20-year-old woman who said she was left "scared of my own shadow".
The victim had just finished a night shift and was withdrawing £100 from an ATM in Grange Road West, Birkenhead.
She thought Ogilvie, 46, of Grange Mount, Birkenhead, was queuing to use the machine, but he pounced when her cash emerged.
As she took it, he swung both his arms around her to try and snatch the money, and in a struggle the victim fell to the ground.
She was struck in the mouth and when passers-by intervened, brazen Ogilvie claimed "she's robbed my money" then walked away.
The victim was left shaken with a swollen lip and sore left cheek, but the crook was identified on CCTV footage and arrested.
Ogilvie, who has 83 convictions for more than 200 offences, admitted attempted robbery and possession of cannabis.
Judge David Aubrey, QC, said Ogilvie should be "ashamed" and his heroin addiction of 30 years was no excuse.
He jailed him for three years and four months.
Roy Dewsbury
Heroin addict Roy Dewsbury suffered seven broken ribs while being arrested for supplying drugs.
Officers spotted the 56-year-old carrying out a drug deal in a car park in Townsend Avenue, Tuebrook.
The addict of 30 years, from September Road, Anfield, was arrested at the scene, while two other men fled.
However, he said he received "nasty injuries" and later claimed he was kicked by an officer while on the ground.
Merseyside Police confirmed the Force's Professional Standards Department had launched an investigation.
He was convicted of one count of being concerned in the supply of heroin, and one of supplying cocaine, after a trial.
Judge Neil Flewitt, QC, jailed Dewsbury for two years over the offences on March 13 last year.
He said: "You suffered quite nasty injuries during the course of your arrest, which have not adequately been explained by the officers responsible for your arrest who gave evidence in this court."
Adele McCarten
Adele McCarten crashed through the ceiling of men's toilets at a hospital when trying to escape police.
The female burglar, 31, sneaked into the home of a vulnerable woman with cancer and stole from her bedroom.
The heroin addict, who has a staggering 53 convictions for 98 offences, was caught by a workman and arrested.
Officers took the mum-of-one to Royal Liverpool Hospital after discovering her legs were covered in ulcers.
Christopher Hopkins, prosecuting, said McCarten, of Whitefield Way, Everton, then asked to use the toilet - with disastrous consequences.
He said: "She went in the ladies toilet, climbed on top of the toilet removed roof tiles and went in the roofspace.
"She rummaged around and fell through the roof back down into the gents toilets, so it wasn't much of an escape frankly."
McCarten struck at the 64-year-old woman's Garston home on July 23 last year, making off with a money box, purse and £80.
The drug addict sobbed when the court heard the OAP described now feeling frightened and paranoid.
McCarten admitted burglary, escape from lawful custody and criminal damage. She was jailed for nine months.
Steven Lloyd and Leon Shaw
A brave landlady scared off two 'zombie' drug addicts who raided her pub wielding an axe.
Steven Lloyd and Leon Shaw smashed their way into Enelle's Glass House in Southport at around 4am.
But little did they know co-owner Natasha Daley had decided to stay overnight in a bedroom upstairs.
The mum was woken by Lloyd, 43, and Shaw, 45, tipping over a jukebox, then ransacking two fruit machines and tills. The horrified victim watched the incident unfold on a CCTV monitor and called police to describe the burglary.
When they kicked down a door leading to her bedroom, Ms Daley screamed and the crooks fled out a fire exit.
They were met by officers, one who described Shaw "sweating profusely and staring into space, almost zombie like".
Lloyd, of Arlington Close, Hither Green, London, admitted burglary and possessing a bladed article.
Shaw, of Scarisbrick Avenue, Southport, admitted burglary and possessing an offensive weapon.
Jailing them both for 20 months, David Potter accepted the pair didn't know Ms Daley was present.
He said: "She was giving a running commentary to police as to her horror as you ransacked through the premises."
Drug addicts Dennis Byrom and Mark Wakefield were caught trying to raid a house while equipped with a burglar's toolkit.
Byrom, 45, and Wakefield, 41, both of Castle Rise, Runcorn, were spotted at a property in Campbell Avenue, at 1.24pm on May 28 this year.
The homeowners were away on holiday and Byrom tried the doorbell with his sleeve over his hand - prompting a witness to call the police.
Chester Crown Court heard Wakefield, wearing black gloves, then climbed over a side gate and let Byrom into the empty property.
A police van arrived at 1.33pm and an officer spotted the men walk towards a silver Audi TT parked nearby.
Wakefield had black gloves and was wearing a torch attached to his trousers with wire, while Byrom also had a pair of gloves.
A search of the Audi's passenger footwell revealed mole grips, a crowbar, long-nose pliers, a screwdriver, bolster chisel and hammer.
The pair initially denied any wrongdoing but later admitted attempted burglary and going equipped for burglary.
Wakefield had 20 previous convictions for 43 offences and Byrom had 11 for 29, both dating back to the 1990s and including burglary.
Judge Nicholas Woodward sentenced each to 18 months in prison, calling the burglary attempt "clearly a premeditated and planned offence".
Jamie Worrall
A "despicable" burglar who killed his ex-girlfriend's hamster is back behind bars for stealing a little girl's birthday money .
Jamie Worrall stamped to death his former partner's pet while trashing her home in a spiteful and cowardly attack.
But the cocaine addict, now 30, of Alder Street, Newton-le-Willows, carried out two more shocking burglaries last year.
He broke into a pensioner's property while the victim slept upstairs, then, while on bail for that raid, ransacked a young family's home.
On that occasion, he helped himself to £400 in cash from their bedroom and £60 from their five and 11-year-old children's money boxes.
Worrall admitted two counts of burglary, five counts of fraud and being carried in a vehicle taken without consent.
He was jailed for 45 months.
Callum Rose
Teenage Class A drug dealer Callum Rose mowed down two innocent university students on Slater Street.
The 19-year-old was fleeing a drug-related argument with two older men when the horror crash happened.
Dramatic footage of the incident, which happened after Rose raced from Bold Street into Slater Street, was shown to a hushed courtroom.
Rose, who had been smoking cannabis, ploughed into two young men who were innocently crossing the road with two friends in the early hours of Christmas Eve.
Sentencing Rose to four and a half years in prison, Judge Andrew Menary, QC, said: "You drove the car directly into collision with these men - you literally mowed them down.
"I don’t believe you targeted these young men but your actions in driving into them and continuing over Mr Jones' body and then continuing your journey shows breathtaking callousness.
You did not stop after the incident or show any concern for the people you had run over."
