Addict was in car when police found drugs in M54 sting

Michelle Humphrey, 35, appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday having been arrested over the weekend.

She had failed to attend court in May to be sentenced for possessing cocaine and heroin with intent to supply.

Humphrey, formerly of Bembridge, Brookside, Telford, has a long history of drug addiction and more than 60 convictions, mainly for shoplifting and deception.

Judge Peter Barrie adjourned sentence for additional reports on Humphrey and for her to be considered for the Willowdean training programme.

"It's a long shot as to whether they will decide to accept you," he said.

The court heard Humphrey had previously failed to attend an assessment for the project.

Humphrey was remanded in custody having been recalled to prison for being in breach of her licence from a previous prison sentence.

Mr Peter Cooper, prosecuting, said that Humphrey was involved in street dealing on September 15 last year.

He said she was a passenger in a Volkswagen Passat stopped by police on the M54 near Shifnal as it drove towards Telford.

Officers found two parcels of drugs in the engine compartment hidden near the washer bottle.

Inside the parcels were 69 wraps of crack cocaine and 15 wraps of heroin which were said to be 'street deals' ready for sale.

Humphrey told police the drugs were supplied by the car driver, 50-year-old Sajid Khan, and she had helped him before by shoplifting and selling stolen property.

She admitted being in joint possession with intent to supply but said she would not have received money, only drugs for her own use.

However, the prosecution said that under Proceeds of Crime regulations Humphrey had benefited by around £840 from her criminal activity, but had no available assets and a confiscation order was made in the nominal sum of £1.

Mr Martin Liddiard, for Humphrey, said his client had a limited function in the dealing and had been working under instruction from her accomplice.

Earlier this month Khan, from Birmingham, was jailed for a total of four years having admitted two charges of possession drugs in September with intent to supply.

It was the second time he had been caught supplying drugs in the Telford area having been stopped in a Toyota in January last year.

Quantities cocaine and heroin along with £465 in cash were recovered along with phones containing text messages linked to dealing.

He had admitted the charges for which he was given a concurrent three-year sentence.