Blyth woman sentenced for role in 'drug dealing business'

Sakib and Kasib Mohammed supplied cocaine, MDMA, ketamine and cannabis to customers and continued even after they were caught by the police.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the siblings had plans to grow their own cannabis supply and drafted in Blyth woman Sandra Cross to rent a property for the crops.

Cross also let the men rent a room at her home, for £500 per month, to supply drugs from.

The trio were caught before the cannabis farm could be set up.

Prosecutor Nathalie Carter told the court: "Sakib and Kasib Mohammed were running a drug enterprise between them.

"They were assisted by Ms Cross, who was paid to allow them to store and prepare drugs for supply.

"They had planned to expand their business to cannabis production. That was to be facilitated by Ms Cross, she was going to be the person who took out leases for various properties."

The court heard the brothers were initially arrested on March 22 and over £6,000 worth of cannabis and around £80 of class A drugs were seized from them and their home.

A search of their mobile phones revealed a message exchange that showed drugs had been delivered to 16 locations in less than a four hour period.

The pair were released but police then put them under surveillance, which exposed Cross as becoming involved.

Police arrested all three in February last year and seized MDMA worth over £28,000 and ketamine worth over £8,000.

A voice note on Cross's phone revealed a lease for a property, that was to be used for the cannabis farm plan, had already been negotiated with an estate agent.

Sakib Mohammed, 23, of York Street, Newcastle and Kasib Mohammed, 29, of Lonnen Avenue also Newcastle, both admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine, MDMA, ketamine and cannabis and conspiracy to produce cannabis.

Cross, 57, of Twelfth Avenue, admitted being concerned in the supply of MDMA and ketamine and conspiracy to produce cannabis.

Judge Robert Spragg sentenced Sakib Mohammed to seven years and two months and his sibling to six years and nine months.

Cross was sentenced to 22 months, suspended for 18 months, with rehabilitation requirements and a nine month curfew.

Judge Spragg said: "The brothers were running a drug dealing business. Cross, you allowed them a room in your house to be used and there were plans to expand into cannabis production."

Fiona Lamb, defending Sakib Mohammed, said the former boxer fell into a drugs debt after he was injured and got in with "the wrong crowd, making the wrong decisions" and his "life had spiralled out of control".

Peter Schofield, defending Kasib Mohammed, said the married dad got involved in drugs to assist his brother and "regrets that very much".

The court heard the brothers have a good family background and handed in references to their ordinarily positive characters.

Stuart Graham, defending Cross, said she was in a "diabolical mental and financial state" when she got involved and is ashamed.