A 65-year-old woman known as 'Queen Bee' has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for orchestrating a family-run cocaine network worth £80m. Deborah Mason, described by police as a 'gangster granny', led a group that supplied nearly a tonne of cocaine across the UK over seven months.
Mason recruited her sister, children, and their partners into the operation, which used couriers to transport imported cocaine from London to cities including Bradford, Leicester, Birmingham, Bristol, and Cardiff between April and November 2023. The drugs had a wholesale value of £23m to £35m and a street value of £80m.
At Woolwich Crown Court, Judge Shorrock told Mason: 'You were effectively the site foreman working under the direction of a site manager. You recruited members of your own family – as a mother you should have been setting an example for your children and not corrupting them.' The judge noted that several female gang members had young children, warning that their involvement made it easier for unscrupulous dealers to recruit mothers.
Prosecutor Charlotte Hole said all participants expected at least £1,000 per trip, and Mason spent her profits on designer goods and planned cosmetic surgery in Turkey. Despite receiving over £50,000 a year in benefits during the conspiracy, she lived lavishly. When Mason was on holiday in Dubai, her daughter Roseanne Mason stepped in as director.
Eight gang members received a total of 106.5 years in prison. Roseanne Mason, 29, and Demi Bright, 30, each got 11 years; Lillie Bright, 26, got 13 years; Demi Kendall, 31, got 13 years and six months; Reggie Bright, 24, got 15 years; Tina Golding, 66, got 10 years; and Anita Slaughter, 44, got 13 years. One member, Chloe Hodgkin, is awaiting sentencing after giving birth.
