Cocaine, cannabis and cling film: Woman caught with £20k drug farm spared jail

Police also discovered mini smart phones, heroin, cannabis and cocaine parcelled up into cling film at the address in Field Street, Park Village, Wolverhampton.

Officers, knowing the man in her life was serving a prison sentence, suspected the packages could be smuggled into the jail, a judge heard.

Laura Bacchus had been forced into letting the 40 cannabis plants be cultivated under a hydroponic system in the bedroom, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

Police estimated the crop could fetch between £4,000 and £20,000, depending on the method of sale.

"She was threatened into allowing the premises to be used because her boyfriend owed money to those involved," explained Mr Geoffrey Dann, prosecuting. "She was not involved in the cultivation."

A box containing six mini smart phones, cocaine, cannabis and heroin were in the living room along with the cling film on June 13 last year.

The latter helped packages to be smuggled into a prison through a 'particular method of concealment,' continued the prosecutor who added: "Her boyfriend was serving a lengthy term of imprisonment at the time."

There was also a correlation between text messages and £120 worth of transactions passing through her bank account, the court heard.

Mr Dann said: "The messages from her boyfriend told her when to pay the money out. Something was going on but how it was linked to what was going on at her home is not clear."

Mr Andrew Wallace, defending, said 24-year-old Bacchus was 16 when she 'came under the control of an experienced criminal' whom she was no longer in contact with.

He maintained: "She knew what was going on and allowed it to happen but she was not involved in any street dealing. Her feet are now back on the ground. She is working and looking to improve herself."

Bacchus, now living in Finchfield and of previous good character, pleaded guilty to permitting premises to be used for the production of cannabis and being concerned in the supply of heroin, cocaine and cannabis.

She was given an 18-month jail term suspended for two years.

Mrs Recorder Rebecca Herbert stressed: "Normally you would be facing an immediate prison sentence of some length but the particular circumstances of this case allow me to take an exceptional course.

"You clearly would not have been here had you not entered into a relationship with a person with a criminal lifestyle who was not good for you.

"You are a hard working young lady and I am sure you have a future ahead of you which will ensure you never appear in court again."