Couple peddled crack cocaine in Worksop while one of them was behind bars

When Courtney Witts noticed she was being followed in August 2021, she rang James Rae to say: "There's a police car behind me. He's blue lighting me. "What?" he replied. "Have you got rid?"

Gareth Gimson, prosecuting, said Rae later advised her: “The police will be looking at your phone. Just stick to your guns and say that’s not yours.”

The business was run by Rae from his prison cell with Witts as a “busy” worker, the court heard.

Other phone conversations included complaints about the poor quality of the drugs, mention of other employees, as well as offers of “new pow wow,” referring to cocaine. Rae’s bank account showed he a balance of £24,000 with numerous cash deposits, and £8,000 in cash was found at Witts’ home.

Nottingham Crown Court heard Rae has 18 previous convictions for 43 offences, including drugs, possessing offensive weapons and affray.

Steven Gosnell said Rae “has done everything he can to put this past behind him” by building up a roofing business which employs six people since his release from prison.

“He bitterly regrets he wasn't able to have this direction in his life earlier,” he said.

The court heard Hewitt suffers from blood clots and is due to have a baby in January. She was 23 at the time and ‘lacked maturity’. The court was told she only has previous convictions for drug possession and to some extent she was manipulated by Rae.

“Class A drugs blight lives and destroys communities," Judge James Sampson told them on Thursday. "Both of you were peddling this misery on a significant scale. This was an organised, busy business operating over many weeks.”

Rae, 29, formerly of Sandy Lane, Worksop, admitted conspiracy to supply class A drugs on the week of his trial. Witts, 26, of Devonshire Close, Newbold, admitted the same offence in October.

Rae was jailed for 74 months. The sentencing of Witts was deferred for six months until May 2.

"At the moment you can consider yourself very lucky indeed," the judge told her.