Barbara Pilkington, 52, and Samantha Greer, 31, have appeared in court accused of importing 9.56kg of cannabis in the Northumberland coastal town of Blyth. The mother and daughter also face charges of possessing the class B drug with intent to supply.
Details of the charges
Pilkington, of North Parade in Whitley Bay, and Greer, of Twentieth Avenue in Blyth, each face four counts of being concerned in the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the importation of a class B drug and one count of possessing cannabis with intent to supply. They appeared at South East Northumberland Magistrates' Court, where they withheld their pleas and only confirmed their names, dates of birth, and addresses.
Prosecutor Clare Haswell said the alleged offences occurred in October and November 2024. She argued the case was not suitable for summary trial, stating: "The prosecution would submit that this is not suitable for summary trial. They allegedly had a significant role and it involves 9.56kg of cannabis. We would say that, if convicted, the starting point is two years in custody, which takes it outside the powers of this court."
Case sent to crown court
Magistrates declined jurisdiction and sent the case to Newcastle Crown Court. Chair of the bench, Prof Kenneth Toft, told the defendants: "Your case will be heard on August 5 at Newcastle Crown Court at 10am. You're on unconditional bail, which means there are no conditions attached to your bail. However, if you fail to attend court on that date and time, the case may proceed in your absence."
