Six years in prison for gran in £80k drug raid

A grandmother has been jailed for six years and 10 months after police found heroin and cocaine worth more than £80,000.

Wendy Connelly, 44, was linked to two separate seizures of heroin in Dundee.

The first in July 2019 was made at a hostel in Soapwork Lane and was valued at just over £2,000.

The second seizure took place at a flat in Langlands Street in July 2020 when a further batch of heroin worth £65,000 was found, along with £16,000 of cocaine.

Judge Lady Haldane told Connelly she had pled guilty to three serious charges of being concerned in the supply of cocaine and heroin.

She pointed out that Connelly has “a considerable number of previous convictions”, including drugtrafficking offences.

She told the accused that if she had been convicted of the drugs crimes after trial at Edinburgh High Court, she would have faced a sentence of eight years’ imprisonment.

Connelly earlier admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin on July 17 2019 and July 22 2020 and being concerned in the supply of cocaine on the latter date.

Defence counsel Rosalyn McTaggart said her client had suffered trauma and tragedy, including abuse and the loss of children.

She told the court: “She has been blighted by addiction for more than 20 years.”

Ms McTaggart said Connelly had taken steps to get help while being held in prison on remand.

A co-accused, plant operator Andrew Lindsay, 42, was jailed for three years and seven months. He had admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine worth more than £16,000 and £12,000 of the Class C drug Etizolam on July 22 2020 at the property in Langlands Street.