A 21-YEAR-OLD woman who was found in possession of �3,500 worth of party drug M-Cat has avoided going to prison.
Bethany Ford-Hodgkinson was "caught red handed" by police in her car on Baths Road, Longton, on August 5, Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard yesterday.
The barmaid was approached by police on a uniformed patrol near to the bus station after they had become suspicious of her.
Searching her under the Misuse of Drugs Act, police found a pair of metal tin scales in her car, as well as 27 bags of the drug which were ready to be sold.
A further 186 grams of M-Cat was found in a Pringles box which was ready to be bagged, the court heard.
The drugs had an estimated street value of �3,500.
Ford-Hodgkinson, of Light Oaks Avenue, Light Oaks, admitted possessing the drug with intent to supply on August 5.
She also admitted supplying the class-B drug over a three-month period.
Prosecuting Neil Ahuja said: "The defendant made full and frank admissions to police when she was taken in for interview.
"She had been given the drugs by another person which she then had to bag up and drop-off at various points.
"She had been doing it for two to three months while she had been job hunting and in that time she made �1,500.
"In her interview, she told police the money would be used to pay off debts which she had accrued."
Stephen Oldham, defending, said Ford-Hodgkinson deeply regretted the episode.
He said: "She is remorseful for her actions and while her family do not condone her actions, they have been very supportive of her throughout.
"Since she was arrested she has taken steps to improve her position to make sure this will not happen again. She has gone to her GP over the state of her mental health and has stopped smoking cannabis."
Ford-Hodgkinson was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, with a 12-month supervision order. She must also carry out 200 hours of unpaid work in the next 12 months.
Sentencing her, Judge Granville Styler said: "You have not only let yourself down, but badly let your family down, too.
"I believe you were acting as the salesperson for someone else but there are plenty of people who have money problems and do not engage in criminal activity as a way of resolving them.
"There is no doubt you were in possession of a considerable amount of a class-B drug which was intended for commercial supply.
"Had it been a class-A drug, you would have been going to prison."
Speaking after the sentence, Inspector Elliott Sharrard-Williams, commander of Longton neighbourhood policing unit, said: "We have seen a rise in the use and supply of this drug across the city and will take no hesitation in dealing with people who are caught supplying or in possession.
"There is no place for controlled drugs in our city and police are working robustly to prosecute those found in possession and take them to court."
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