A 65-year-old woman dubbed “gangster granny” by police has been jailed for running a UK-wide drug-dealing operation.
Deborah Mason – known as ‘Queen Bee’ – and seven other members of the family-run gang were sentenced to a total of 106.5 years at Woolwich Crown Court in London on Friday.
The group imported almost a tonne of cocaine – with an estimated street value of £80m – over seven months.
Mason spent her profits on designer goods, including a Gucci lead and collar for her cat, and planned to travel to Turkey for cosmetic procedures.
The ringleader was in “close contact” with an upstream supplier called Bugsy using an encrypted app and directed other members of the gang as they drove packages of imported cocaine to locations across England.
Mason was found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
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Deborah Mason. Pic: Met Police
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Cash seized by police. Pic: Metropolitan Police
Judge Philip Shorrock told her: “You were effectively the site foreman working under the direction of a site manager.
“You recruited members of your own family – as a mother you should have been setting an example for your children and not corrupting them.”
Prosecutor Charlotte Hole said earlier that Mason “recruited both her family members – her sister and her children – as well as partners and friends of her children, to a network of at least 10 individuals.”
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Deborah Mason’s daughter, Roseanne Mason, was sentenced alongside her. Pic: Met Police
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Tina Golding. Pic: Met Police
Mason and the other eight defendants made multiple trips to collect and drop off imported cocaine from Harwich Port and other locations.
Some of the gang members took their young children with them as they couriered the packages.
They took them to addresses in Bradford, Cardiff, south London, Rotherham, Southend, Leicester, Walsall and various other places.
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Lillie Bright took her two-year-old son in the car on one trip, the court heard. Pic: Met Police
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Demi Bright. Pic: Met Police
Ms Hole said Mason did not use pressure or coercion to woo her family into the gang, as they were “motivated by financial benefit”.
It is estimated each person earned more than £1,000 a day, the Metropolitan Police said.
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Mason – who took part in 20 trips, delivering 356kg of cocaine – was also in receipt of more than £50,000 per year in benefit income during the conspiracy period, the court heard.
She was jailed on Friday alongside seven other people.
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Reggie Bright couriered drugs with his partner, Demi Kendall. Pic: Met Police
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Demi Kendall. Pic: Met Police
Roseanne Mason, 29, of Canon, north London, Chloe Hodgkin, 23, of Wye, Kent, Lillie Bright, 26, of Ashford, Demi Bright, 30, of Staplehurst, Kent, and Anita Slaughter, 44, of Ashford, Kent, stood trial alongside the 65-year-old and were all found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
Prior to her trial, Lillie Bright pleaded guilty to a separate offence of offering to supply Class A drugs.
Her partner, Chloe Hodgkin, is awaiting the birth of her baby and will be sentenced at a later date.
Tina Golding, 66, of Ashford, Kent, Reggie Bright, 24, of Staplehurst, Kent, and Demi Kendall, 31, of Staplehurst, Kent, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
Reggie Bright and Demi Kendall also pleaded guilty to a separate offence of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, and possession of criminal property after seizures of cocaine and more than £15,000 cash during a search of their home.
Roseanne Mason and Demi Bright were each sentenced to 11 years in prison.
Lillie Bright was sentenced to 13 years, and Demi Kendall was sentenced to 13 years and six months imprisonment.
Reggie Bright was sentenced to 15 years, and Tina Golding was jailed for 10 years.
Anita Slaughter was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment.
