Granny jailed for helping run sons' £2.7m drugs gang

A 51-year-old grandmother has been jailed for six years after becoming “second in command” in a drugs gang run by her two sons.

Angela Collingbourne, 51, helped the group to sell more than £2.7m of cocaine in Newport, with her son directing operations from prison.

She had denied being a “trusted lieutenant” in the gang.

The gang had more than 4,000 customers, Newport Crown Court in South Wales heard, and operated out of a family garage.

Seven other members were also jailed for conspiracy to supply class A drugs on Friday.

Collingbourne's sons Jerome Nunes, 28, and Blaine Nunes, 26, were jailed for 12 and 14 years respectively.

Another eight had lready been jailed last month, bringing the total to 16.

The gang, from Newport, dealt the drug from a garage called NP19 Tyres, with video showing thousands of pounds passing through but only a handful of cars being repaired.

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The court was told Collingbourne, who is a grandmother, racked up a "number of convictions" for shoplifting, driving and a public order offence before becoming responsible for managing the gang's funds and facilitating - and maintaining control of the the mobile telephone trading line with 4,000 customers.

Prosecutor Andrew Jones said: "She was a middle tier manager of the organisation."

He added that the gang controlled a significant proportion of the Newport drugs trade

Judge Daniel Williams told the grandmother: “You portrayed yourself as a victim, a working mother who was fighting bigotry and injustice – the jury saw through you.”

He added: “You began to believe that you and the conspiracy were unstoppable.”