Newport women jailed for dealing cocaine

Katie Barrington, 29, and Trenae Greenland, 30, were arrested in a car on Chepstow Road in Newport parked outside a convenience store on October 31, 2020.

The officers had been on patrol when they saw a Volkswagen Golf parked outside a block of flats, with a man coming out of the flats, interacting with the pair, and then leaving again.

“They quickly came to the view a drug deal was taking place,” said prosecutor Nigel Fryer.

“A large amount of cash was recovered” from the car, Mr Fryer said, as well as a Nokia mobile phone which Greenland tried to hide between the seat and the centre console, three bags of white powder, and an iPhone.

Officers found further cash and high-value clothing when searching Greenland’s address.

Trenae Greenland was spotted trying to hide a Nokia phone from officers when they were stopped. Picture: Gwent Police.

Upon analysis of the two phones, officers found “many conversations about future holidays, expensive holidays,” Mr Fryer said.

There were also conversations about how much they were being paid – “upwards of £100 a day on a weekday and £200 on a weekend” – and the court heard that the pair were able to control when they worked.

“The motivation here was greed,” said Mr Fryer.

Both defendants had previous good character.

The court heard that the pair owed a debt of around £5,000 to find their cocaine habit, and were working to pay it off.

“On their earnings, they could have got a bank loan to pay that,” said Judge DJ Hale.

Kevin Seal, representing Greenland, said that the defendant could have considered this option had she sat down and thought about it soberly, but the pair were “in the ravages of an addiction”.

“It begs the question why someone of good work ethic involves themselves in drugs and allows themselves to get into this situation,” said Mr Seal.

Mr Seal added that Greenland, of East Dock Road in Newport, was concerned about what effect a prison sentence would have on her family.

Katie Barrington has been jailed for dealing cocaine in Newport. Picture: Gwent Police.

Nicholas Gedge said this offending was “very out of character” for Barrington, of Swallow Way in Newport, who he represented.

“She is an intelligent young lady. Her family and friends speak very highly of her.

“Her route into cocaine addiction is a very sensitive one. She struggled for a long time to deal with it. This sent her into drug debt. This is what she thought was a way out.

“She is aware of the shame she has brought not only on herself but on [her family] too.”

Sentencing the pair, Judge Hale said: “You were in a relationship for around five years. You both had good jobs. Your household income from those jobs together was over £60,000-a-year.

“You had a sound future together, and you have thrown it all away through, in effect, shared greed.

“If you hadn’t been caught by sheer chance, you would’ve carried on doing this. Putting more people in debt. You got into this because you were in debt, but you knew how this was putting customers in debt.

“You are two young ladies of good character. Two young ladies with a future which you have thrown away.”

Judge Hale sentenced the pair to two years and eight months in prison – concurrently for the charges of possession with intent to supply cocaine and being concerned in the supply of cocaine, and gave them 12 weeks, running concurrently, for possessing criminal property.

A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing will be held in November.