A landlady who was filmed singing about a drug plot after she turned her pub’s basement into a drug factory has escaped jail time.
Lorraine Jackson, who ran the Gamul Pub in Preston, claimed she had no knowledge of the factory or the plot when initially questioned by police.
But it later emerged the operation was being led by her daughter and her prisoner boyfriend Asaiah Facey, Lancs Live reports.
He received letters in his prison cell drenched in spices by Shannon Jackson, who smeared the envelopes with a fake lawyer’s stamp to fool prison staff at HMP Northumberland.
Each envelope contained several sheets of medicine, with one sheet selling for around £900.
Preston Crown Court heard how telephone evidence contained a video of Lorraine Jackson singing ‘double dip, triple dip’, regarding letter dipping, as well as Afroman’s 2000 hit Because I Got High.
She was given a 23-week sentence suspended for a year and must perform 100 hours of unpaid work after admitting to the crime.
Continuing, Paul Brookwell told the court: ‘There was an operation in which drugs, namely spices, were mixed with papers in liquid form.
“In some cases they will have been dipped once, twice or three times, increasing their strength and value.”
And at sentencing, Judge Heather Lloyd told the woman: ‘You are the caretaker of the Gamüll pub where you live with your daughters and grandchild.
“One of your references says that you have made the public house important to the community and that you do not tolerate any disorder from young people.
“However, I don’t think the community would be happy to hear that you allow the premises to be used for drug dealing – the spice is a plague in the community.
“I also doubt the brewery is happy to hear it.”
Facey, 31, has already been jailed for four years for his role in the operation and Shannon Jackson has already served an 18-month prison sentence for her role.
To stay up to date with all the latest news, be sure to sign up for one of our newsletters here.
.
