A 29-year-old woman from Ely who was found with cocaine on two separate occasions has been jailed for three years.
Louise Clarke was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court after admitting:
- Possession with intent to supply class A drugs
- Possession of an offensive weapon
The car stop
The case began on 8 December 2023, when officers followed a black Ford Fiesta from City Road on to Crwys Road in Cardiff until it pulled over. Clarke was a passenger in the car.
The court was told the vehicle smelt of cannabis, and the joint Clarke had recently lit was still in her hand. When she was searched, officers found cannabis, an iPad and a steak knife. Messages on the iPad showed she had been involved in drug dealing.
At the police station
Clarke was then taken to Cardiff Bay police station. As she was about to be searched there, she told officers: “Oh, you’re going to find the drugs.”
They found four bags of cocaine worth between £60 and £80. Police later searched her home and seized several items, including:
- Scales
- Grip seal bags
- A Taser
A second arrest
Prosecutor Tabitha Walker told the court that Clarke was arrested again on 5 January, this time on suspicion of supplying class A drugs. She told officers there was a bag of cocaine in her shorts.
She was found with 29 snap bags holding 5.51g of cocaine, worth £560 in total. When police examined her phone, they found drug-related messages and tick lists.
Previous convictions
The court heard Clarke has three previous convictions. They include possessing class B drugs and being carried in a motor vehicle taken without consent.
Mitigation
Her barrister, Mukhtiar Ubhi, said Clarke was still a young woman who had had a “difficult upbringing and difficult life”. He told the court she had lost her father and her mother was a cocaine addict. He said she had been exploited and had run into difficulties with drugs, her mental health and her accommodation.
Sentencing
Judge Daniel Williams told Clarke: “You knew you were playing for high stakes to make money. You knew you were playing for high stakes and you lost.”
She was jailed for a total of three years.
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