Teenage couple had plan to sell ecstasy at clubs and raves

A TEENAGE couple from Derbyshire hatched a plan to sell large quantities of ecstasy at nightclubs and raves across the country.

Derby Crown Court heard how messages obtained from the mobile phones of Georgia Cauldwell and Bradley Robinson told themselves their illegal enterprise was “money for free”.

The Belper pair, then aged 18 and 19, discussed how they would offload hundreds of pills to users in Sheffield, Leeds and Birmingham.

But their illegal activity was thwarted when a car Cauldwell was driving was stopped by the police and MDMA tablets were found inside it.

Handing each of them suspended prison sentences, Recorder Stuart Sprawson said: “You actively pursued a willingness to supply class A drugs to others. You knew you could place your hands on them and you knew their value.

“You knew you could supply them in terms of hundreds, not tens or ones or twos.

“There is no question you were two young people planning to make artful and determined attempts to supply drugs to other members of society.

“It leaves victims, it ruins lives and it makes society a more difficult place to live.

“You two exploited the situation and no matter what window dressing you may show your families, you are both drug dealers.”

Abigail Joyce, prosecuting, said the offence dates back to February 1, 2018, when a Ford Fiesta being driven by Cauldwell was stopped by the police. She said inside they discovered 36 ecstasy tablets.

But the true scale of the couple’s plans came through phone evidence.

Miss Joyce said: “Messages between them included them planning on selling at the Tank nightclub (in Sheffield), at a rave in Birmingham and a nightclub in Leeds called Distortion.

“They discussed selling 100 tablets saying £320 was the lowest they would go. In one message, Cauldwell says to Robinson ‘this is money for free.’”

Miss Joyce said that in her police interview, Cauldwell at first denied any involvement and then blamed her co-defendant.

She said in his interview, Robinson told police he was from “a respectable family and would never take or sell drugs”.

But both later pleaded at different stages of the legal process to possession with intent to supply MDMA.

Recorder Sprawson told both criminals it was only because of the length of time the case had taken to come to court, and that both had remained out of trouble since, that he would not send them both immediately to custody.

Cauldwell, now 22 and of Bentfield Road, was jailed for 18 months, suspended for two years.

Will Bennett, mitigating, said his client works for an estate agent who were aware of the proceedings and had provided a reference on her behalf. He said: “She was 18 when this took place and it is apparent she was a rather silly and naïve young girl.”

Robinson, now 23 and of Maple Drive, was jailed for 16 months, also suspended for two years.

Stephen Cooper, mitigating, said his client’s employer is also aware of the legal proceedings and had also supplied a testimonial for him.

He said: “He has turned his life around, he’s very, very, worried as he knows exactly what the court feels about this offending.”

Both were also handed curfews confining them to their homes each evening between certain hours.