Dealer making £1k a day had a chauffeur
SHE DELIVERED CLASS A DRUGS USING HER DAD’S CAR
A NOTTINGHAM woman was caught delivering drugs in her father’s car while being driven around by a chauffeur.
Shantae Duporte, from the city, was found to be delivering crack cocaine and heroin to people in Derbyshire when she was pulled over by police in June 2019.
The 20-year-old had hired a man to drive her to delivery locations in her father’s car, and was found with hundreds of pounds in cash and wraps of drugs in the vehicle.
She also hid drugs in a purse belonging to her sister, which was subsequently lost in an Asda, bringing her to the attention of police again in February last year.
At the height of her activities, she was bringing in up to £1,000 a day in drug money, which she then spent on herself and her family.
Sarah Allen, prosecuting, told Derby Crown Court that Duporte and Guy Taylor, 32, the man hired to drive the car, “appeared nervous” when it was stopped by police in Somercotes on June 13, 2019.
“Miss Duporte pointed to a white container in the foot well,” she said. “That was found to contain cannabis.”
She added officers found wraps of cocaine and heroin in the vehicle, along with more than £500 in cash.
A mobile phone was recovered which had been used to send “mass marketing messages” to potential customers on May 27 and June 11.
She said: “There was also evidence from that telephone that Miss Duporte was receiving instructions regarding the delivery of cocaine and heroin.”
Duporte said she knew nothing about the wraps of class A drugs when interviewed by the police, but accepted the cannabis was hers.
Meanwhile, Taylor, of Elmtree Avenue, Shirland, Alfreton, admitted he was a user of crack cocaine and said he had been asked by a dealer to drive someone around.
“He said he suspected drugs were being dealt, although he thought it was cannabis,” Ms Allen said.
While the case was being investigated by police, Duporte came to the attention of the police again.
“The defendant had been hiding drugs in her sister’s purse, but her sister managed to lose the purse in Asda,” Ms Allen said.
“The staff found the drugs and called the police. Recovered in that purse was 116 wraps of crack cocaine.”
When interviewed by police, Duporte said she kept the drugs in the purse to keep them away from children.
“She accepted in that interview she would deal £1,000 worth of drugs a day and would spend the money on herself and her family,” Ms Allen said.
She would later plead guilty to selling cocaine and heroin, as well as possession with intent to supply the same drugs.
Taylor pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.
At a sentencing hearing at Derby Crown Court on Thursday, March 18, Duporte was jailed for 18 months.
Recorder Paul Mann said: “What can be said which is significant in your case is at the time you started committing this offence you were of previous good character.
“From what I have read there were a number of male associates you were mixing with.
“None of that can save you today from an immediate custodial sentence. These offences are just too serious to save you from that.”
At the same hearing Taylor received a prison sentence of two years, suspended for two years, and given an eight week curfew between 8pm to 6.30am.
Recorder Mann said: “There’s no benefit to the public in sending you back to prison. Bearing in mind the huge chance I am giving you today, don’t expect me to show the same mercy should you break curfew.”