Two women jailed for county lines drug dealing

Two women in their forties have been jailed for more than five years for their part in county lines drug dealing in Loughborough.

Lisa Hutchinson and Pauline Smith were sentenced on Friday (23 August) at Leicester Crown Court as part of Operation Lionheart – the force’s crackdown on the supply and distribution of class A drugs.

Both women were dealers for a county line operating in the town and were involved in selling cocaine and heroin following the set-up of deals through a dedicated phone number.

Hutchinson, currently of HMP Drake Hall, was jailed for three years after admitting six offences.

At a previous court appearance, the 43-year-old pleaded guilty to permitting the use of her premises for the supply of class A drugs after she allowed a previous address in Tuckers Road, Loughborough, to be used as a base for the sale of cocaine and heroin between 29 May and 24 July 2018.

She also admitted to three counts of supplying class A drugs from her address and two counts of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs after heroin was sold by other dealers from her home.

A further four offences – two counts of supplying class A drugs, one count of possession with intent to supply class A drugs and one count of offering to supply class A drugs will also lie of file after she pleaded not guilty.

Smith, of Windermere Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, was jailed for two years and four months after previously admitting seven counts of supplying class A drugs.

Between 29 August and 12 October 2018, the 44-year-old sold cocaine and heroin on the streets of Loughborough on four different dates.

A further Operation Lionheart defendant, 40-year-old Abdul Khalique, of Good Yards Close, Loughborough, was given a 20 month prison sentence, suspended for two years, after pleading guilty to two counts of supplying a class A drug in Storer Road, Loughborough, 26 September 2018.