She also had a knuckle duster with her
A drug-addicted mother was found with stashes of cocaine and heroin after police suddenly spotted a large number of people flocking around a flurry of apparent drug dealing activity. Chloe Bentley also had a knuckle duster with her and police found more supplies of drugs at her home, Hull Crown Court heard.
Bentley, 32, of Lansdowne Road, Bridlington, admitted possessing cocaine and heroin with intent to supply and possessing a knuckle duster as an offensive weapon on September 23 last year. She denied an offence of possessing money as the proceeds of crime and that charge was discontinued.
Stephen Welch, prosecuting, said that police saw Bentley with a man in Bridlington and they seemed to be involved in drug dealing. They were arrested at about midday away from where a large number of drug users were apparently congregating around them in the Travis Street area.
“The defendant was found in possession of a knuckle duster,” said Mr Welch. She also had 10 wraps of cocaine, containing 1.26g of crack cocaine, and four wraps of heroin, containing 0.64g of the drug. At her home, police found 60 wraps of drugs, including 10 of cocaine, weighing 1.25g, and 10 of heroin, weighing 1.69g. The total estimated street value of the drugs found was £740.
A mobile phone was found on Bentley and police found advertisements that had been sent out for 10 wraps of cocaine and requests for the resupply of drugs worth £600. She also had £145 cash.
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Bentley had convictions for six previous offences, five of them between 2009 and 2012. Her most recent conviction was when she was fined in November last year for possessing crack cocaine. The offence happened after the ones being dealt with now.
Michael Forrest, mitigating, said that Bentley played a lesser role in the offending and this was accepted by the court. “She was clearly dealing to fund her own habit,” said Mr Forrest.
Bentley had children and she had been open and honest in a pre-sentence report. She had suffered difficulties over the years and she had been self-medicating on drugs because of these. “She has started to work on drug rehabilitation to rid herself of her addiction,” said Mr Forrest. She pleaded guilty at an early stage.
Bentley was given a two-year suspended prison sentence and 15 days’ rehabilitation. The drugs will be forfeited.