A Penrith mum caught out when a police drugs dog sniffed out cocaine inside a locked safe at her home has appeared in court.
Police raided the Chase Park address of Sarah Burton, a 43-year-old mum-of-four, on Thursday March 5 this year.
“Police dog Milo has begun searching the property, indicating interest in a chest of drawers,” prosecutor Lucy Todd told Carlisle Crown Court today.
Around £400 cash was on top of the drawers.
There was also interest from the dog in a bedside table, from which drug-related items were found.
Ms Todd added: “Milo indicated (interest) in the wardrobe where a large safe was recovered. Officers forced entry to the safe.”
In total, 224 grams of cocaine — comprising 224 £80 street deals and potentially worth almost £18,000 in total — was found inside snap-bags and a purple tub.
One police officer also located cutting agents, weighing scales and snap-bags within the same bedroom.
“Police further recovered phone messages whereby the defendant can be seen to actively be involved in drug dealing,” said the prosecutor, who told how Burton was arrested.
“An interview was conducted with the defendant, whereby she admitted the offence, but raised a defence to state that she had done this under duress due to a debt. There was nothing to corroborate that Ms Burton had been operating under duress.”
Burton admitted possessing class A cocaine with intent to supply.
The court heard she had committed some previous offences. She was last convicted in 2012 for an unrelated offence.
Defence lawyer David Wales, mitigating, told how Burton’s involvement in the cocaine crime arose after she was saddled with a drug debt accrued by a former partner.
Burton had been warehousing the drug under pressure, said Mr Wales.
He said Burton had been exposed to drugs from an early age, and was the mother of four children — three aged under 18.
“It has been a difficult road,” said Mr Wales of her cocaine crime. “It has been a salutary experience for my client.”
Sentencing, judge Recorder Philip Grundy agreed with Mr Wales that Burton had played a lesser drug supply role, under pressure, with no influence on those above her in the criminal chain.
The judge told Burton: “Whatever was going on in the early years of your life, you had left behind you until this particular set of circumstances.”
In view of her childcare responsibilities, and having read a probation service pre-sentence report, Recorder Grundy concluded that he could suspend a two-year jail term for two years.
Burton must complete a rehabilitation requirement and 150 hours’ unpaid work.
