A mother of two who ran a drug dealing racket from her family home has been spared jail after she blamed her criminal conduct on a toxic relationship she once had with an ex-boyfriend.
Lorraine Chadwick, 43, was arrested in a drugs bust at the three-bed home she shares with her teenage son during which officers found a £1,600 haul of cocaine, cannabis, MDMA and prescription only sleeping tablets.
Chadwick, of Higher Blackley, Manchester later claimed she had been "pressured" into dealing by her former partner but admitted carrying on with her drugs operation after they split up.
During the bust, drug paraphernalia including a grinder, weighing scales, snap bags and a debtors list were also seized.
At Manchester Crown Court, Chadwick, a care worker for the elderly, faced up to seven years behind bars under sentencing guidelines after she admitted possession of drugs of Class A, B and C with intent to supply and possession of cocaine.
But she was freed with two years jail suspended for 24 months after a judge said the abusive relationship she used to have "played its part" in her subsequent offending. She was also ordered to complete 200 hours unpaid work.
The 8am raid took place on June 22 2020 after officers obtained a search warrant following a tip off.
David Toal prosecuting said: "In the front bedroom a bag of white powder and a large amount of white granule were found wrapped up in newspaper.
"A grinder, shoe box with a large quantity of cash inside, a snap bag containing a 1.43g mix of cocaine & cannabis, a mobile phone and a list of names and numbers which had the appearance of a debtor's list was found.
"In the kitchen officers found a snap bag of crystal substance found to be 6.63g MDMA, a plastic tub containing cannabis, a snap bag containing 128 Zopiclone sleeping tablets and a large tub containing 22 snap bags each containing a mixture of cocaine, cannabis, amphetamine and caffeine.
"A set of digital scales was also recovered which had traces of cocaine, amphetamine THC, caffeine and tetramisole on them and had therefore clearly been used to weigh out drugs. The drug expert estimated the total value of drugs seized to be £1,683.
'The defendant's mobile phone was later subjected to analysis and revealed text messages had very recently been deleted as it contained only messages sent or received since the day before the police search.
"However, there were still a small number of messages sent from the phone which were relevant and clearly showed an involvement in the supply of drugs. There were also screenshots of message correspondence with other persons which were also relevant and again clearly showed the defendant being involved in the supply of drugs.
"There was a photograph stored on the phone showing two bags of white powder and a block of chalk-like substance consistent with a kilogram block of cocaine. She played a significant role in this offending."
Chadwick who has previous cautions for possessing cannabis in 2001, 2003 and 2009 made no comment in police interview.
In mitigation defence counsel Mark Pritchard said: "My client was in an abusive relationship, which was partly coercive, and she was pressured into this behaviour. The relationship ended and she did continue - however the impact of the domestic violence she has suffered is ongoing in terms of psychological well being. She is not experienced or sophisticated in what she was doing.
"If she goes to prison she will lose her property and her employment. She works in full time employment working with people with mental health difficulties. She did that through the pandemic and intends to continue to do so.
"There is a low risk of reoffending. If she was sent to prison it would render her 18 year old son who lives with her, homeless. She can be rehabilitated in the community."
Sentencing the judge Mr Recorder Neil Usher told Chadwick her dealing had "limited financial advantage" but said: "It is something of a tragedy that you are before the crown court at your age with grown children having never face a custodial sentence before.
"Those who involve themselves in the supply of class A and B drugs in this city must know they will receive a custodial sentence.
"Drugs, namely class A and class B, bring untold misery and death to users, without suppliers such as you, this trade can be significantly curtailed."
He added: "However the remorse you express is genuine. You have a good job, the job you do is important and you have responsibilities within that job. I know you have had a difficult time recently losing your brother to Covid and your siblings rely on you.
"I also accept you have been in abusive relationship that thankfully ended prior to these offences but I take the view it would have impacted on your decision making abilities and played its part in your decision wholly out of character to involve yourself in very serious offending.
"You do not present a risk of danger to the public and you have strong personal mitigation - if you go to prison you will lose your job and your home and your son would be disproportionately impacted by becoming homeless."
Earlier a friend of Chadwick had given a character reference to the court saying: "She endured difficult challenges throughout her life due to external contributing factors which led her to make bad choices."
