Dealer mum given 'last chance' after police raid her home and find drug den

A mum who was caught dealing drugs has avoided jail as a judge told her this was her ‘last chance’.

Lorraine Chadwick, 42, was found with cocaine, cannabis, a debtors list, scales and other drug paraphernalia following a police search of her house in Higher Blackley. A drugs expert estimated the total value of drugs seized to be £1,683.

Manchester Crown Court heard that Chadwick pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply cannabis, zopiclone and possession of cocaine. On Thursday (March 10) she was handed a suspended sentence.

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David Toal, prosecuting, said that on June 6, 2020, police executed a search warrant at Chadwick’s house. At first she didn’t open the door, but once they began to force entry, she allowed the officers in.

From the front bedroom, they found a bag of white powder wrapped up in a newspaper, white granules also wrapped up in a newspaper, a grinder, a shoe box with a large amount of cash, a snap bag containing a 1.43g mix of cocaine and cannabis, a mobile phone and a debtors list.

In the kitchen, officers found a snap bag of crystal substance later found to be 6.63g MDMA, a plastic tub containing 15.77g cannabis, a snap bag containing numerous blister packs of 128 Zopiclone sleeping tablets, a large tub containing 22 snap bags each containing a mixture of green matter and white powder.

The court heard that this would be sold as quarter ounce cannabis deals with a street value of £1,100.

Also found were two snap bags each containing a mix of green matter and white powder, digital scales with traces of cocaine and amphetamine, as well as a large carrier bag containing more empty snap bags.

Chadwick was