‘Greedy’ couple who ran drug dealing side hustle made £300k and spent it all on luxury holidays and designer clothes
A “GREEDY” glamour couple who made almost £300,000 dealing cocaine were left with just £1,300 after blowing the cash on luxury foreign holidays and designer clothes.
Katie Barrington, 30, and Trenae Greenland, 31, dealt drugs as a side-hustle to their combined income on more than £60,000.
A court heard the pair had been in a five-year relationship and had a “sound future” together before they were caught by police by chance.
They were jailed in July last year but returned to court so prosecutors could try and recoup their ill-gotten-gains.
The proceeds of crime hearing was told they jointly profited by £293,781.31.
Prosecutor Nigel Fryer told a previous said: “There were many conversations about future holidays, expensive holidays.
“Their motivation here was greed.”
Greenland benefited by £160,960.27 but has £1,665 in available assets to hand over, Newport Crown Court was told.
Barrington, 30, gained by £132,821.04 and has £165 which can be seized.
The pair were ordered to repay £1,300 the money within 28 days – or spend an extra three months in jail.
The couple earned “upwards of £100 a day on a weekday and £200 on a weekend” by selling cocaine and would pick and choose when they worked.
Mr Fryer said searches of Greenland’s address found cash and high value designer clothing.
He said they were spotted in a Volkswagen Golf parked outside a block of flats when a man came out to their car and then left again.
Mr Fryer said: “Officers quickly came to the view a drug deal was taking place.
“A large amount of cash was recovered.”
The court heard officers also found three bags of white powder and a Nokia mobile phone that the women had tried to conceal in the car and an iPhone.
Mr Fryer said that officers analysed the phone and found references to how much money they were making by drug dealing.”
The pair, of Newport, Gwent, admitted possession of cocaine with intent to supply, being concerned in the supply of cocaine, and possession of criminal property.
Kevin Seal, defending Greenland said the pair were in “the ravages of an addiction” and sold drugs to pay off a debt to dealers.
Nicholas Gedge, for Barrington, said: “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.”
They were each jailed for two years and eight months last July.