Woman who went viral after losing her parrot Chanel to face trial over £792,000 drugs haul

A woman who went viral after posting a video on social media appealing for help to find her lost African grey parrot is set to stand trial for drug offences.

Sandra Hannah, 43, of Cumberland Gate, Netherton, Liverpool, will face trial alongside four others next April.

She was charged earlier this year with drug offences and possession of criminal property, following the discovery of imported cannabis resin valued at over £790,000.

In April this year, the Merseyside Police said in a statement that Ms Hannah had been charged alongside Ian Hannah, 55, of the same address with the importation of cannabis and possession of criminal property, following a joint operation with the National Crime Agency.

During the two-day operation, officers found 237.6kg of cannabis resin imported from Spain. Police said this was been valued at approximately £792,000.

Ms Hannah pleaded not guilty to charges in July this year. She appeared in court on Wednesday October 11, alongside four other men involved in the case, where their trial date was set for March 4 2024.

The trial is expected to go on for around three weeks, following a further hearing on November 9.

Hannah became an online sensation during the first Covid lockdown in 2020 when she uploaded a video to Facebook calling out for Chanel after the bird went missing.

The video became so popular Hannah was invited to appear on ITV breakfast show This Morning, where she said Chanel had been found about a mile away from home, three days after she went missing. She featured again in 2021 when the parrot disappeared for a second time.

“My parrot has just flew away out my garden”, she said in the clip, which racked up thousands of views.

“CHANEL!,” Hannah screamed out as she desperately tried to find the parrot.

“Her name is Chanel, she’s gone towards the canal, please everyone please. CHANEL! My parrot is gone. She’s an African grey, her name’s Chanel.”

The parrot even has its own social media accounts, run by Ms Hannah, with more 11,000 followers on TikTok.