Woman dealt Class A drugs from her South Northamptonshire village home

A 62-year-old woman has been spared prison after being convicted of supplying Class A drugs from her home in a South Northamptonshire village.

Julie Dawn Cobley received an 18-month suspended sentence at Northampton Crown Court last month (October), after a quantity of cocaine with an estimated street value of between £4,000 and £8,500 was found in her home.

Officers from the South Northamptonshire Neighbourhood Policing Team executed a warrant under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act at the address in Maltings Row, Deanshanger, on July 27 last year.

During the search of the property, Cobley openly admitted to officers that there were Class A drugs in the address and led officers to a safe, which contained 16 individual wraps of cocaine along with more of the drug in three clear plastic bags and a green plastic container.

A mobile phone and £230 in cash were also seized from the property and Cobley was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a Class A drug – namely cocaine – before later being released under investigation.

Following an extensive investigation, Cobley was informed via a postal requisition that she had been charged and on June 1 this year, she appeared before Northampton Magistrates’ Court.

Her case was committed to the Northampton Crown Court and on Thursday, October 19, she was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment, which was suspended for 12 months, fined £187 and ordered to pay £230 in court costs.

Neighbourhood Policing Sergeant Josh Ellard, who led the investigation, said: “This warrant was executed as a direct result of community intelligence and reports from members of the public who were concerned about drug-related issues in their area.

“Tackling and preventing drug harm is a matter of priority for the Force and we will continue to act on the concerns of our communities to disrupt drug dealers, who prey on the most vulnerable people in our society and bring misery to others.

“This is a prime example of how we can work together with our partners and residents to take positive action against issues affecting them and I would urge anyone who has concerns about drug dealing within their local communities to keep reporting suspicious activity to us.”

If anyone has concerns about drug dealing or any other illegal activities, please report it to us on 101, online at www.northants.police.uk/ro or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111