‘Greedy’ couple turned to cocaine dealing to fund holidays and designer clothes

A couple splashed earnings from illicit drug deals on designer clothes and luxury holidays, a court has heard.

Katie Barrington, 29, and Trenae Greenland, 30, were making a combined salary of £60,000 a year in their day jobs.

But the pair were secretly topping up their wages by selling cocaine.

Prosecutor Nigel Fryer said the pair earned ‘upwards of £100 a day on a weekday and £200 on a weekend’ by selling cocaine.

He said: ‘There were many conversations about future holidays, expensive holidays.

‘Their motivation here was greed.’

The couple had been in a relationship for five years and had planned a ‘sound future’ together before they were caught red-handed by police, Newport Crown Court was told this week.

Police had observed both women in a Volkswagen Golf parked outside a block of flats on October 31, 2020.

They watched as a man approached the car before walking off again.

‘Officers quickly came to the view a drug deal was taking place,’ said Mr Fryer.

He added: ‘A large amount of cash was recovered.’

Officers also recovered three bags of white powder, a Nokia mobile and an iPhone from within the car.

Searches of Greenland’s address later found cash and high value designer clothing, the court was told.

Detectives analysed the two mobiles and found exchanges which revealed details about how much money the couple was making through the drug deals.

Barrington and Greenland, of Newport in Gwent, Wales, admitted possession of cocaine with intent to supply, being concerned in the supply of cocaine, and possession of criminal property.

The couple had plummeted into the ‘ravages of an addiction’ said Kevin Seal, defending Greenland. He said both women had sold drugs in order to pay off a debt to dealers.

Nicholas Gedge, for Barrington, said of his client: ‘She is an intelligent young lady. Her family and friends speak very highly of her.

‘Her route into cocaine addiction is a very sensitive one. She struggled for a long time to deal with it. This sent her into drug debt. This is what she thought was a way out.’

Judge DJ Hale told them: ‘You were in a relationship for around five years. You both had good jobs. Your household income from those jobs together was over £60,000-a-year.

‘You had a sound future together, and you have thrown it all away through, in effect, shared greed.

‘If you hadn’t been caught by sheer chance, you would’ve carried on doing this. Putting more people in debt. You got into this because you were in debt, but you knew how this was putting customers in debt.

‘You are two young ladies of good character. Two young ladies with a future which you have thrown away.’

The couple was each jailed for two years and eight months in prison and face a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing to repay their ill-gotten gains.

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