The wife of a jailed drugs kingpin who called himself a 'cocaine artist' has been sentenced for her part in what a judge described as 'serious criminality'. Jade Barnes, 33, appeared at Manchester Crown Court after admitting possessing criminal property worth more than £106,000 belonging to her and her husband Warren Barnes.
Warren Barnes, previously jailed for 10-and-a-half years, ran his drugs business from abroad with the help of criminal associates while living in Dubai, Spain and Canada. Father-and-son duo Paul and Adam Taylor helped him continue to run his cocaine and cannabis business from abroad.
Couple's return to UK
The court heard that Jade Barnes and her husband had returned to the UK by August last year and were living in Worsley, Salford. Police seized digital devices that revealed Warren Barnes' involvement in wholesale quantities of drugs.
Between November 2023 and July last year, he had been involved in the supply of 11 kilos of cocaine and 159 kilos of cannabis, prosecutor Phil Barnes KC said. After Warren Barnes' sentencing in August, Greater Manchester Police said the defendant used encrypted communications and had the username 'Pablo Picasso', while also referring to himself as a 'cocaine artist'.
Cryptocurrency and messages
Prosecutor Mr Barnes said that when the couple returned to the UK, they brought back at least £106,000 in cryptocurrencies. They had paid at least £5,000 in cash to rent their home and had joint access to an Audi S3.
Mr Barnes said messages recovered showed that Jade Barnes was 'well aware of the origins of the money'. She said her husband had been 'lucky' to avoid criminal charges so far and sent messages to contacts chasing debts owed to her husband for drugs supplied, debts which ran to 'tens of thousands of pounds'.
She also asked ChatGPT: "Can you get charged on a spreadsheet found on your mobile phone containing drugs pricing, money owed, without any evidence to support the spreadsheet?"
Sentencing and judge's remarks
Jade Barnes pleaded guilty to possessing criminal property in relation to the £106,000 which the family lived off, between June 1 last year, when the couple returned to the UK, until August 19, when police arrested Warren and Jade Barnes. "Neither had any meaningful legitimate income declared to HMRC throughout any of the indictment period," prosecutor Mr Barnes said.
Defending Jade Barnes, Rebecca Filletti said the defendant was of 'positive character', with a history of employment and not having committed any offences previously. She said Barnes is the 'sole primary carer' for her young child and had been judged as presenting a low risk of harm in the future.
Judge Nicholas Dean KC told her: "Your husband, Warren Barnes, was involved in extensive dealing in class A drugs. I take the view you knew that. You were in some form of denial about this to a certain extent." He said Barnes had been involved by living off the proceeds of crime, adding: "That is serious criminality."
He added: "It seems to me these proceedings have frightened you, and so they should. You, it seems to me, were living in a world where you didn't really understand the consequences of the potential consequences of what you were doing. Make no mistake, you put yourself and your child in that position."
Jade Barnes was sentenced to a year and two months in prison, suspended for two years. She was ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid work and 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days. She now faces an investigation under the Proceeds of Crime Act alongside her husband.
Following a sentencing hearing in August, Warren Barnes, 38, of no fixed address, was jailed for 10 years and six months for two counts of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs (cocaine); two counts of being concerned in the supply of class B drugs (cannabis); one count of possession of a class A drug; one count of conspiring to produce a class B drug; one count of being concerned in the movement of money; and one count of possessing criminal property.
Paul Taylor, 49, of Swinton, Salford, was jailed for five years and three months for one count of possession with intent to supply cocaine and cannabis; one count of being concerned in the supply of cocaine and cannabis; one count of being concerned in the production of cannabis; one count of being concerned in the movement of money; and one count of possessing criminal property.
Adam Taylor, 25, of Peel Green Road, Eccles, Salford, was jailed for three years for one count of being concerned in the supply of cocaine, cannabis and ketamine; one count of being concerned in the production of cannabis; and one count of possession with intent to supply cannabis.
