Woman teamed up with son's friend to deal Class A drugs

A WOMAN addicted to crack cocaine teamed up with her son's friend in order to sell Class A drugs to other users and downstream dealers.

- PHILIP DEWEY

They were both found in possession of drugs when the woman's home was raided by police.

Michelle Wetherall, 57, and Gerard Hallinan, 22, were found at the former's home address in Llansawel, Briton Ferry, on September 5 after police saw a man leaving the address with a pot containing a white substance.

Upon searching the flat, officers found Wetherall in her bedroom with two tick-lists and a phone on the bed.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday heard that a search of the room led to the discovery of £1,000 in cash and three bags containing 11g of cannabis, worth up to £90, and 66 pregabalin tablets.

Officers saw Hallinan walking out of the living room and detained him, and a search of that room led to the discovery of a lump of crack cocaine on a shelf, which weighed 53g and was worth up to £5,210.