Mother bragged she made £2k a week from setting up drug dealing racket

Jobless mother-of-two, 28, who bragged she made £2,000 a week after setting up a drug dealing racket on Instagram is spared jail

• Rebecca Parker, 28, was found with cannabis and £38,000 going through bank
• In court she pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis with intent to supply 

A jobless mother-of-two who bragged she made £2,000 a week after setting up a drug dealing racket on Instagram has been spared jail. 

Rebecca Parker, 28, messaged customers on Snapchat after buying cannabis in bulk and advertising it on social media.

When a client backed out on payment Parker wrote a private message saying: ‘I swear on my kids’ life if my money aint in by 3 I’m comin ya work and ya mum’s windows r getting it. I’ve asked ya enough times now ya cheeky little c*** 80 better be in by 3.’

Police raided the mother’s home in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, to find cannabis stored in snap bags, scales, a tick list, incriminating messages on her phone and evidence of at least £38,000 going through her bank.

At Chester Crown Court, Parker pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis with intent to supply and being concerned in the supply of cannabis between June 26, 2020 and July 28, 2020. She was sentenced to four months in custody, suspended for 18 months.

Jobless mother Rebecca Parker, 28 (pictured), bragged of making £2,000 a week after setting up a drug dealing racket on Instagram

At Chester Crown Court, Parker pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis with intent to supply and being concerned in the supply of cannabis between June 26, 2020 and July 28, 2020. Pictured: Parker leaving court 

Nardeen Nemat, counsel for the prosecution, said: ‘On July 28, 2020, a warrant was executed at the defendant’s home address in Ellesmere Port at around 7.30 in the morning. The defendant was present along with her two-year-old son living with her.

‘Police searched the property and found £438 in cash, scales and a tick list alongside snap bags of cannabis and 15.7 grams of cannabis valued at between £170 and £210. Her mobile phone was examined and it held messages showing she had been selling cannabis on both Instagram and Snapchat.

‘There were flare messages being sent out. A number of text messages appeared to be exchanged between the defendant and a number of parties. One message demanded money to be paid by 3pm.’

Miss Nemat said that one message on June 13 was from someone asking for two £50 bags of cannabis, with the promise of payment the following Friday, when two payments of £50 were seen to go into her account. 

On June 29, Parker indicated she had swapped mobile phones after doing cannabis deals of more than £2,000 per week. Another message on July 27 showed that she was being charged £850 for bulk cannabis. In addition, £38,000 appeared to be going into her account through faster payments.

When a client backed out on payment, Parker posted a private message saying: ‘I swear on my kids’ life if my money aint in by 3 I’m comin ya work and ya mum’s windows r getting it’ 

During a police interview following her arrest, Parker admitted the drugs were hers but denied dealing

During a police interview following her arrest, Parker admitted the drugs were hers but denied dealing. She said the cash was her benefits money and money for her son’s birthday. She said she put the cannabis in separate snap bags as she was addicted to it and that helped her to stop smoking too much.

‘She said she was not being bullied by anyone,’ Miss Nemat said, ‘But she did have an addiction to cannabis. She was bulk buying and then advertising herself. On one occasion threats were made if payments were not received.

‘She also messaged that she was making £2,000 per week on her old phone in relation to cannabis. That was £2,000 per week. That works out as £8,000 a month or £96,000 per year. She was also sourcing the drugs directly from the original source and selling them. She had a leading role.’

In mitigation Parker’s counsel Mark Le Brocq said: ‘Since her arrest in July 2020 she has kept out of trouble. In a sense the delay works in her favour. But it has been hanging over her. That is a difficult thing for anybody.

‘She has proved to the court that she can turn herself around and not cause further trouble. She has given birth to another child and is doing all that by herself as a single mother.’

Parker said she put cannabis in separate snap bags as she was addicted to it and that helped her to stop smoking too much

Mr Le Brocq said that Parker had since admitted that the lost source of income was a ‘big hit’. With the drug money she bought things for her son and that was ‘nice not to have financial worries’. He said that now ‘she doesn’t have a bean’.

Judge Steven Everett also ordered Parker to complete 25 days of rehabilitation with the probation service and undergo six months of drug rehabilitation.

He told her: ‘Cannabis is an evil drug and you were selling that for a long time. There is a wealth of evidence of it causing mental health issues.

‘A lot of people appear before me with mental health issues. I get a lot of people with mental health issues and of course you are passing it on.

‘There is also recent medical evidence of it causing heart problems.

‘There is nothing good about cannabis, it is a horrible drug. But you had this hanging over your head for a long period of time.’

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