A grandmother has avoided prison after police searching her housing association home uncovered cocaine hidden in a Horlicks tub, heroin stored in a shed and nearly £10,000 in cash tucked inside a bookcase.
Donna Glynn, 63, was caught following intelligence about her "lucrative" operation for dealing Class A drugs. She denied the charges at Manchester Crown Court but was found guilty by a jury in September of involvement in the supply of heroin and cocaine.
Drugs and cash found at Wigan property
Officers raided Glynn's Collett Close address in the Scholes district of Wigan in April 2021. She had lived there for 27 years. Prosecutor Craig McGregor said she claimed to share the property with her ex-partner, but when police entered she was alone.
The search revealed significant amounts of cocaine, in both high-purity and cut forms, along with heroin and electronic scales bearing traces of drug residue. Some of the cocaine was 81 per cent pure, while other batches had been cut with creatine powder.
In the kitchen, police found 193g of cocaine stored in bags inside a Horlicks container in a cupboard. Around 158g of the cocaine was 81 per cent purity, with the remaining amount at approximately 12 per cent, having been cut with creatine powder. Glynn's fingerprints were found on the packaging.
Heroin and cash discovered
Containers retrieved from the garden shed contained 60g of heroin, with her fingerprints also identified on the bags. The heroin carried an estimated street value of £5,920, while the cocaine was valued at £15,800 and £1,400 in its high-purity and adulterated forms respectively.
Officers also found £9,645 in cash hidden inside a bookcase. Glynn offered no proper explanation for where the money came from, claiming £1,600 was her life savings while the rest belonged to her ex-partner, set aside to buy a car.
The discovery of creatine powder in the garden provided the basis for a "clear inference," Mr McGregor noted, that the high-purity substances were intended to be cut down.
Court hears of family circumstances
Glynn has two previous convictions for five offences, including possession with intent to supply cannabis in 1983 and fraud and assault in 1993. Defence barrister Tomas Quinn argued that Glynn was "on the cusp" between a lesser and significant role, yet "must have had some awareness and understanding."
She was reported to have serious medical conditions and mobility difficulties, while also providing daily care for her 34-year-old son, who lives independently but struggles with some mental health issues. Mr Quinn also disclosed that Glynn's father had died on November 4, leaving her with the extra burden of caring for her grieving mother.
Judge Paul Mason imposed a three-year sentence, suspended for two years, recognising that she had not committed further offences since 2021, presented a "low risk" of reoffending, and demonstrated a "realistic" prospect of rehabilitation. He told her: "You claimed your ex-partner was a drug user and that you were not aware. But there was very little evidence of you having a management function in the chain or controlling street runners. I am persuaded - just - to suspend the sentence in this case. You have physical ailments and your son and bereaved mother are dependent on you. If you reoffend in that time I will need significant persuasion not to send you to prison."
Deemed unsuitable for unpaid work, Glynn was ordered to pay a victim surcharge alongside a £500 fine, payable by May 31, 2027, to be taken from her Universal Credit payments.
