Cannabis stash worth £3,500 found at Scarborough woman's home during police raid

Jane Monkman, 53, was arrested after police raided her home in Eastfield and found over a third of a kilo of cannabis, York Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Brooke Morrison said the 349g of cannabis “flowering heads” found at the property was worth up to £3,490 if sold on the street.

Monkman was charged with possessing a Class B drug with intent to supply and admitted the offence. She appeared for sentence on Tuesday.

Ms Morrison said the dawn police raid, on March 10 2020, was in fact for unrelated matters involving one of Monkman’s friends, but a search of the property revealed a major stockpile of cannabis.

Police found six cannabis packages inside which were drug wraps split into ounce and half-ounce “deals”, each worth between £170 and £200.

Monkman was interviewed by police the following day and claimed the huge cannabis hoard was for her own use.

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She claimed she had bought “in bulk” but messages on her phone were clearly indicative of drug-dealing, added Ms Morrison.

Monkman later claimed the drugs belonged to a friend, but she pleaded guilty at the first time of asking when the case reached court.

David Camidge, for Monkman, said his client had never been in trouble before and her “loss of her good character is something that weighs heavily upon (her)”.

Judge Simon Hickey said character references showed the offence was “completely out of character”.

He told Monkman: “Goodness knows why you involved yourself in such serious activity.”

He said the text messages found on Monkman’s phone made it clear that she had been “effectively dealing in drugs”.

He added, however, that he could spare Monkman jail because she had shown “full remorse” and had not reoffended. He also cited the prolonged delay in the case reaching court.

The eight-month prison sentence was suspended for a year. Monkman was ordered to pay more than £400 prosecution costs and a statutory surcharge.