Southend drug dealer jailed for hotel room operation

Angela Gravely, 38, from York Road in the town, has been jailed for 26 months after being caught in a hotel room with Class A drugs and a "deal line" phone.

She was tracked down by plain clothed officers from the British Transport Police in June, near Southend Central train station.

Officers found four mobile phones, wraps of Class A drugs and equipment used to cut and weigh drugs.

One of the phones was face-up on the windowsill and its screen was filled top to bottom with the same message drafted to send to dozens of recipients, stating “back on with both."

The phone

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As officers entered the hotel room, Gravely dropped a plastic container of Class A drugs.

The drugs found in Gravely’s hotel room were tested and found to total 10.6 grams of crack cocaine and 4.6 grams of heroin with a combined street value of approximately £2,200.

Gravely pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to supply drugs of Class A status and one count of possession of a controlled drug of Class B status.

A judge at Basildon Crown Court sentenced her to 26 months imprisonment on Friday 30 July.

She is also required to pay a victim surcharge of £190.

BTP County Lines Taskforce lead, Detective Superintendent Gareth Williams, said: “The proactive work of the officers in Southend in June has led to a drug line being dismantled and harmful drugs removed from the community.

“It’s clear from the persistent text messages she was sending out offering heroin and crack cocaine that she was running a lucrative drug dealing business.

“Thankfully, she’ll now have plenty of time on her hands in prison to rethink her criminal activity and consider a new career path.

“Whether you see us or not, our relentless County Lines Taskforce officers are working day in, day out to stop the movement of drugs across the country – we’ll clampdown on this crime type wherever it occurs.”