Police raided Susan Curtis’s Whitley home and discovered Class A and C drugs worth nearly £12,000.Among the haul were amphetamines including speed, cannabis and cannabis resin. She also had drugs paraphernalia including weighing scales, a spoon in a bowl containing white power – amphetamines – and plastic carrier bags used to contain drugs.Reading Magistrates Court heard Curtis, who had never been in trouble with the police before, turned to drug dealing as a way of keeping up-to-date with her mortgage payments so she did not lose her Northumberland Avenue home.
At court on Tuesday, Curtis, who has a disabled son, admitted three charges – possession of amphetamine with intent to supply, possession of cannabis with intent to supply and possession of cannabis resin with intent to supply.Prosecuting, Lorna Tagoe said police carried out a drugs warrant at her home at 1.25pm on Wednesday, April 30.Curtis, along with her daughter and another man, were in the house. Miss Tagoe said: “During the search a large number of items were recovered including a large polythene bag of herbal matter.”
There were also bags containing cannabis, 25 bags of cannabis resin and bags filled with speed, as well as drugs paraphernalia.
All three people in the house were arrested and taken to Reading police station, but only Curtis was charged after her daughter and the man explained they were just visiting. Miss Tagoe said: “She [Curtis] made some admissions during interview.
She said she believed the white power was speed and that she had bought it for £1,000.“She said she would cash the drugs in and sell them.”She had £1,025 of cannabis which she said she would sell for £20 a bag, 309g of cannabis worth £2,230, 569g of amphetamines worth up to £5,690, 126g of cannabis resin worth £395 and 54.6g of powder worth up to £2,540.The cash in her house belonged to her son and was nothing to do with the drugs, the court heard.David Crayford, defending, said Curtis owned her home.“She was very concerned about her son’s future,” he said, before adding worries about how to fulfil her mortgage payments lay heavy on her heart.
“She does not use drugs but knows people who do. She needed a way to get extra funds to keep the house for her son.”Mr Crayford added: “She is 59 and has no previous convictions.“She is not a drug user. This is a somewhat unusual sort of situation.
“I do not think there is any sort of suggestion her home was a drug den.”
The case was adjourned for sentencing at Reading Crown Court, although no date was set. Pre-sentence reports are to be carried out in the meantime.
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