Tesco worker ran huge cocaine operation in between serving customers

A Tesco café supervisor was arrested inside the supermarket for dealing cocaine, a court heard.

Louise Bugby's phone records showed she told a customer she couldn't "sneak out" to complete a drug deal because her boss was nearby. Police later raided Bugby's home, finding cocaine packaged for sale and a large sum of cash. Despite the judge noting such substances were "poisoning" Welsh communities, he handed the 43-year-old a suspended sentence.

Prosecutor Sian Cutter told Swansea Crown Court how Bugby became a suspect in November 2022 when detectives investigating drug activity in Pembroke intercepted a known user's phone. The messages on the device led them to Bugby, who had been observed by the drug user at the Tesco where she was employed.

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In one particular message, Bugby mentioned having "3 halves" but was unable to deliver due to her boss's presence at work, Wales Online reports.

Officers arrested Bugby at her workplace in the store cafe on November 9 after discovering she was in possession of drugs. Prosecutor Ms Cutter detailed that Bugby admitted to having drugs, leading to a search where police found 0.38g of cocaine on her.

Further investigation at Bugby's residence in Tenby Court, Monkton, Pembroke, revealed 14 half-gram deals of cocaine, slightly underweight, valued at approximately £700 and £665 in cash. Examination of Bugby's phone revealed "numerous requests" for cocaine dating back to August 2022.

Throughout her two police interviews, Bugby remained silent, offering "no comment" responses to all inquiries.

The 43-year-old defendant had earlier admitted to charges of possessing cocaine with intent to supply and being involved in the supply of the drug over a three-month span, as she stood before the court for sentencing, despite having no prior convictions.

Initially, Bugby claimed she was dealing to settle a drug debt inherited from her now-imprisoned ex-husband Leigh Bugby, a claim the prosecution did not accept and which she later retracted.

Ms Cutter clarified: "It is accepted that her husband is in prison for offences against her, but it isn't accepted she was forced to pay off his drug debt. There is no evidence he had a drug debt."

Emily Bennett, representing Bugby, detailed the defendant's tumultuous 19-year relationship with Leigh Bugby, which led to several convictions for her partner, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm in 2020 and threatening with a knife in October 2022.

The barrister argued that the domestic abuse had "clouded her judgement leading to her doing something she wouldn't normally do".

She highlighted that her client, now divorced and in a stable relationship, has maintained her role as a supervisor at Tesco cafe despite the arrest, and presented three "glowing" references to the court, attesting to Bugby's dedication as a mother and employee.

Judge Huw Rees addressed the severe impact of Class A drugs on Welsh communities, noting they cause social dysfunction, injury, and death, which typically results in prison sentences for dealers. He acknowledged the evidence of the defendant's abusive and controlling husband, stating it "defied common sense" that he was unaware of the drug dealing activities.

The judge expressed that sentencing was always based on the specific facts of each case, taking into consideration all circumstances, including knowledge of the defendant. The delay in this case, he described as police "dragging their feet intolerably", which led him to take the unusual step of suspending immediate custody.

Bugby received a 22 month prison sentence suspended for two years for each of the two charges, due to be served concurrently, with a one-quarter reduction because she pleaded guilty - she must also undertake a rehabilitation programme and provide 150 hours of unpaid community work.

The prosecution barrister noted that the police had simply provided a "chronology" of events regarding the delay, offering no explanation for it. Judge Rees responded by stating: "The police should be told the court is not content with the delay and the nature of the explanation."