Latest news with #RickergateCourt
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Women's cannabis operation exposed after police raided ground floor flat
A POLICE raid on a property in Carlisle's Morton area uncovered evidence of how two women were involved in cannabis dealing. Kaye Elliott, 28, and her co-defendant Lucy Elizabeth Connelly, 25, admitted their involvement after police found incriminating evidence in a ground floor flat, including just under half a kilo of the drug and more than £6,000 in cash. Connelly, of Marks Avenue, Raffles, Carlisle, admitted possessing cannabis with intent to supply while Elliott, of Parham Drive, Carlisle, admitted an identical charge as well as being concerned in supplying the Class B drug. She did this between January 8, 2022, and December 30, 2023. Prosecutor George Shelley told the city's Rickergate court that police officers armed with a search warrant raided a property in Stonegarth (below) on September 30, 2023. (Image: Google) 'Both defendants were present,' said Mr Shelley. The search uncovered paraphernalia linked to the drugs trade, including digital scales, a cannabis grinder, as well as a phone which contained more incriminating evidence. This pointed to Elliott being the main driver of the cannabis operation, said Mr Shelley. In total, there was £6,450 in cash and 477g of cannabis. Anthony Wilson, for Elliott, said the court had sufficient powers to deal with sentencing his client and asked for a pre-sentence report. Chris Toms, for Connelly, said common sense dictated that there was no point in jailing the defendant, who had waited a considerable time for the case to be dealt with and who knew she was in serious trouble. 'This has weighed on her mind,' said Mr Toms. Magistrates imposed a one-year community order with five rehabilitation activity days and a 12-week curfew. The cash that was seized will be forfeited and the drugs and paraphernalia will be destroyed. The defendant must pay prosecution costs and a surcharge. Elliott was granted bail and told she will be sentenced on June 24 after a pre-sentence report has been prepared by the Probation Service. She was granted unconditional bail until the day her case is concluded.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Yahoo
Banned driver 'impulsively' decided to drive to work, court told
A BANNED driver from rural north Cumbria who was needed at his workplace in Carlisle 'impulsively' decided to drive there. John Fitzgerald, 36, from Walton, near Brampton, was given a 30-month disqualification for driving dangerously in August of 2023 and told he will remain banned until he passes an extended driving test. He was also given a ten month jail term. His formal ban was also scheduled to remain in force until at least May of next year, the court heard.. But on February 6 police spotted him at the wheel of a black Audi A3 as he drove along Brampton Road in Carlisle. 'The driver was stopped and admitted straight away that he was disqualified,' prosecutor Scott Parker told the city's Rickergate court. The defendant admitted the offence as well as driving while not insured. Read more: Brampton man's aggressive driving included using BMW to ram Audi Sean Harkin, defending, told the court: 'He is working man as a mechanic, and usually cycles to his place of work. This was a lapse of judgement. "He was keen to impress his employer. 'He was needed at work but would have struggled to get there, so he made the impulsive decision to drive. 'He knows that orders of the court must be respected and that must be a priority going forward. 'He has no relevant convictions. It was surprising that the author of the pre-sentence report said that she thinks this was not the first time he had done this. He is no longer on drink or drugs. 'He is also in employment and in a stable relationship.' Deputy District Judge Andrew Teate noted that the defendant had the 'good sense' to plead guilty to the offence at the earliest opportunity. But the judge said: 'When the court tells you that you should not drive, you are not to drive. It's disappointing that you find yourself back before the court, having made the decision to drive. 'You will have to pass an extended driving test before you get back on the road. These matters are extremely serious.' The District Judge imposed a 12-month community order which will include 15 days of rehabilitation. He must also pay £85 costs and a victim surcharge of £114. In addition, the judge added a further three months to the defendant's existing driving ban. Deputy District Judge Teate warned: 'For a second time offence, it is likely you would be sent to custody.'
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
Driver with £7k hidden in his shorts said it was for 'a hair transplant'
A MOTORIST stopped by the police on the M6 near Carlisle said the £7,000 in his shorts was to pay for a hair transplant. The man offered that explanation to police officers during a conversation when he repeatedly changed his account for why he had been to Scotland and why he had the money. At the city's Rickergate court, a Cumbria Constabulary financial investigator said that the man - in his 30s and from Manchester – initially claimed he had been to Lanarkshire to visit his grandmother. He said she was unwell and that was why he visited. But when pressed for details, said the investigator, the man was unable to provide any, including his grandmother's address or even the town where he claimed she was living. Nor could he provide any other details. The man also gave misleading information about his recent past, which police say has included him being arrested on suspicion of producing the Class B drug cannabis. The financial investigator had earlier outlined how the police stopped the defendant's Seat car on the afternoon of May 2, on the hard shoulder near to Southwaite Services. The officers searched the car. Under the driver's seat, they found a car containing a small jar of cannabis. 'The officers also found that the driver had something concealed in his shorts, which he said was some cash,' said the investigator. 'He stated that he did not know how much was there. 'He also said he did not know whose cash it was but it was not his. The money was in a plastic, heat-sealed bag and appeared to be in Bank of Scotland notes.' A short time later, the man changed his account, telling the officers that there was in fact £7,400 in cash and that his grandmother had given him the money to fund a hair transplant. Around £2,000 of the money, he said, was for his mother. The investigator asked Deputy District Judge Andrew Teate to grant an order under the Proceeds of Crime Act that allows Cumbria Police to continue holding the cash for a further four months so that its origins can be further investigated. The judge granted the order, ruling that, on the balance of probabilities, there are grounds for suspecting the money is either the product of or linked to criminal activity. The driver was told in advance about the police application but he was not in court for the hearing.
