A GANG of women made more than £50,000 profit in the space of just six months after flooding Southend with cocaine.

Renee Crocker, 34, Debbie Johnson, 55, Sydney Hicks, 22 and Danielle Jackson, 39, were responsible for transporting cocaine into Southend from London before being caught by police.

During a sentencing hearing on Friday, Basildon Crown Court heard the gang had been responsible for transporting at least 876 grams of cocaine to Southend.

Recorder Sarah Clarke said: “The minimum profit made was £53,000 and minimum about of drugs supplied was 876 grams of cocaine.

 

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“Debbie Johnson, you were the facilitator and loader for the drug supply. The other women were drug runners.

“Two mobile phones were used, and thousands of messages were sent out to hundreds if not thousands of drug users and customers.”

Mitigating for Crocker, of Shaftesbury Avenue, Southend, Nick Bonehill, told the court she was at the bottom of the chain.

Speaking for Johnson, of Northview Drive, Westcliff, Mike Warren said: “When she wanted to stop it was made quite clear she wasn’t allowed to get out.”

Mitigating for Jackson of Rochford Road, Southend Jane Oldfield said she’s suffered abuse and it caused significant difficulties.

Speaking for Hicks, of York Road, Southend, Oliver Kirk said: “She got involved through her naivety and she had suffered an abysmal life.”

All four woman admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine. Johnson was jailed for three years and four months. Crocker was handed a 16-month sentence suspended for 24 months, with 12 sessions of mental health treatment.

Jackson was handed a oneyear sentence suspended for two years and unpaid work of 50 hours. Hicks was sentenced to a year in jail suspended for two years with 12 sessions of mental health treatment