JAILED: Wolverhampton mother and daughter locked up over £225,000 crack cocaine ring

When police raided the Pendeford home of 50-year-old Pauline Thorpe, they found drugs worth £225,000.

Mr Philip Beardwell, prosecuting at the city's crown court, said: "When the police entered no-one was there, but they found 2.6kg of crack cocaine that was of 28 per cent purity and worth £225,000.

"Pauline Thorpe was located five days later sleeping on a sofa at her son's address."

Thorpe pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply crack cocaine between July and November 2014 and was jailed for six years.

Her daughter, 22-year-old Shanice Foster admitted the same charge and was locked up for two years and three months.

Judge Stephen Eyre QC said: "You were involved in the organised supply of substantial quantities of drugs. I accept that you were far from the top of the chain, but this was a substantial and serious operation."

The home in Russet Walk, Pendeford, was raided on September 12 last year following a tip-off. Thorpe was the registered tenant but claimed she sub-let it to a man called Ernie and she only went back from time to time to collected her things.

However, when officers then visited Foster's home in nearby Wheatsheaf Road they found both mother and daughter and items used in the preparation of crack cocaine, including electronic scales, empty bags containing traces of drugs and two mobile telephones.

"The phones contained messages indicating that both defendants were involved in the supply of drugs," said Mr Beardwell. "There were many references to 'white, 'W' and 'sniff' over the period from July to November. This gives clear evidence that both were involved in the supply of drugs."

He said Foster was of previous good character and her guilty plea was accepted on the basis that she assisted her mother and was unaware of the large amount of drugs found.

Mr William Rickarby, defending Thorpe, said she was not at the top of the supply chain

He said: "She is a woman living on her own and was in a vulnerable position. She is very much at the bottom of the income levels of society. She has suffered a great deal already. Her home is gone."

The women are now registered at an address, in Wingfoot Avenue, Low Hill.

Pc Steve Holden, of Wolverhampton Police, said: "This operation resulted in a large amount of class A drugs being recovered. The sentences handed down reflect the harm that drugs inflict on our communities and the consequences of being involved in the supply of them."