Mother-of-three had drugs in her Bloxwich house

Tia Copeland, of Well Lane, Bloxwich, appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court after police found about three grams of cocaine and 12 grams of cannabis at her home.

The property was searched after officers stopped the 29-year-old and her boyfriend, Nathan Morrison, at shops near to her home.

Morrison, who is also set to be sentenced by the court as part of a linked case on March 22, ran away after being approached by police, the court heard.

Copeland stayed in the car where police spoke to her about the search.

They found the cannabis and cocaine which she said was being kept for a friend with an addiction problem.

Copeland admitted possession with intent to supply in relation to the drugs at her property, while her boyfriend, of Westbrook Avenue, admitted possession of cocaine, cannabis, heroin and crack cocaine, with intent to supply.

Mr Milo Turner, defending, said Copeland had a clean criminal record, no history of drug addiction of any type and that she was completely unaware of the scale of her partner's drug dealing.

"In police interview, she told officers that the cocaine had been given to her by a friend with an addiction problem and that she was told not to give it back to them.

"She has been described in a pre-sentence report as being naive and I would agree with that.

"When police told her the scale of her boyfriend's criminal activity it came as quite a shock to her. She didn't know what he was doing."

Judge Stephen Ward said: "She was driving him to the shops, four phones and drugs were in the car, he had drugs on him, I just find it hard to believe that she didn't know he was dealing drugs to the degree that he was."

Copeland was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered to carry out a 30-day rehabilitation activity.