Drug dealing grandmother Karen O'Neill jailed for 27 months

8:50am Friday 1st March 2013 in News By Court Reporter

A former pub landlady who was caught dealing cocaine from the back of a taxi in Watford was jailed for 27 months on Wednesday (February 27).

Grandmother Karen O'Neill, 49, was stopped just after midnight when police spotted a taxi being driven around in circles in the Nascot Road area.

Prosecutor Ann Evans said O'Neill owned up to what she was doing immediately and said: "I have got cocaine in the bag. I don't know how much there is."

When it was analysed it was found to have a street value of between £920 and £1,380. She also had £720.10 in cash with her.

O'Neill, of High View, Watford, pleaded guilty to possessing a Class A drug with intent to supply on August 29 last year. She had received a suspended jail sentence in 2009 for selling drugs.

At an earlier hearing Richard Storey, defending, said O'Neill was dealing drugs that night to pay off the drug debts of a son.

"There had been threats to her family and children so she agreed to do it. There was no financial gain for her whatsoever. She had been vulnerable and was exploited," he said.

He said she had led a blameless life until she was 45 when she suffered a breakdown after the death of a grandchild which had a "massive effect on her".

Judge Stephen Gullick who had adjourned sentence until yesterday said he hoped the police had alerted the licensing authority to the taxi driver's actions.

Comments(15)

chrisrobech says...
9:10am Fri 1 Mar 13

How come the taxi driver who drove the drug dealer around knowing what she was doing has not been charged.

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MarsLander says...
9:31am Fri 1 Mar 13

27 months for dealing £2000 of cocaine, out in just over a year, and a vain hope that the police have reported (not prosecuted?) the taxi driver?

What a pathetic outcome for such a heinous crime. She might make £2000 a night selling just those drugs she had on her and she gets a year in prison and the taxi driver gets off scot free? Nice little earner if you can stomach it.

As I said, pathetic excuse for justice. Where's that useless PCC when you need him? What's he going to do about this? Naf all I expect!

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CaptainPC says...
9:48am Fri 1 Mar 13

Why are people so judgemental?

It's only a bit of plant extract. Why don't they ban aloe vera?

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LSC says...
10:14am Fri 1 Mar 13

So she was selling drugs to help her son, and there had been threats to her family. Makes her sound like a victim.

Is that what happend in 2009 too when she was last done for dealing?

How many other mothers did she put in her position that night by selling to THEIR children?

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garston tony says...
11:52am Fri 1 Mar 13

The article is not clear, she could have been the one driving the taxi.

Her 'excuse' was nothing of the sort (see LSC, I agree with you here dont I) as she has previous for it her punishment this time should be greater.

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I SEE U says...
1:04pm Fri 1 Mar 13

She wasn't the taxi driver and the only reason he got away with it is because he grassed her and others to the police which he has been doing for years.

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Boosey says...
1:05pm Fri 1 Mar 13

garston tony wrote:
The article is not clear, she could have been the one driving the taxi. Her 'excuse' was nothing of the sort (see LSC, I agree with you here dont I) as she has previous for it her punishment this time should be greater.
She was caught dealing from the BACK of the taxi, the taxi was going round in circles when the police stopped it.
If she was driving how would the police know she was dealing from the back?
Also story title might have been;
Taxi driving grandmother. . .
You're not a detective are you?

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LSC says...
1:09pm Fri 1 Mar 13

I SEE U wrote:
She wasn't the taxi driver and the only reason he got away with it is because he grassed her and others to the police which he has been doing for years.
By 'grassed', I assume you mean 'witnessed a serious crime and reported it to the police'?

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garston tony says...
1:46pm Fri 1 Mar 13

Boosey wrote:
garston tony wrote: The article is not clear, she could have been the one driving the taxi. Her 'excuse' was nothing of the sort (see LSC, I agree with you here dont I) as she has previous for it her punishment this time should be greater.
She was caught dealing from the BACK of the taxi, the taxi was going round in circles when the police stopped it. If she was driving how would the police know she was dealing from the back? Also story title might have been; Taxi driving grandmother. . . You're not a detective are you?
When she stopped to deal she could have had the stuff in the back of the taxi, just like when I get to a job my equipment and paper work etc is in the back of the van.

I see U appears to have some information, but like LSC said if there was a taxi driver and he reported crimes to the police then he was doing his civic duty and not 'getting away' with anything

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MarsLander says...
1:50pm Fri 1 Mar 13

If the taxi driver was doing his civic duty then why does the judge hope the police have reported him to the licensing authority?

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I SEE U says...
1:51pm Fri 1 Mar 13

The taxi driver is Also a dealer. He has been dealing from the taxi for years. He wasn't doing his civic duty he was making sure he didn't get caught.

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Boosey says...
2:18pm Fri 1 Mar 13

garston tony wrote:
Boosey wrote:
garston tony wrote: The article is not clear, she could have been the one driving the taxi. Her 'excuse' was nothing of the sort (see LSC, I agree with you here dont I) as she has previous for it her punishment this time should be greater.
She was caught dealing from the BACK of the taxi, the taxi was going round in circles when the police stopped it. If she was driving how would the police know she was dealing from the back? Also story title might have been; Taxi driving grandmother. . . You're not a detective are you?
When she stopped to deal she could have had the stuff in the back of the taxi, just like when I get to a job my equipment and paper work etc is in the back of the van. I see U appears to have some information, but like LSC said if there was a taxi driver and he reported crimes to the police then he was doing his civic duty and not 'getting away' with anything
I am not up on drugs or drug dealing but I know for fact she doesn't drive a taxi.

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LSC says...
2:18pm Fri 1 Mar 13

I SEE U wrote:
The taxi driver is Also a dealer. He has been dealing from the taxi for years. He wasn't doing his civic duty he was making sure he didn't get caught.
So the police have taken no action when you reported this to them?

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I SEE U says...
2:27pm Fri 1 Mar 13

that's my point they know about him and what he does. He was let off. With regards to the licensing authorities I don't know if they have been informed or not by the police but I know that this taxi driver will do it again and again until he is caught red handed

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Roi De Bouchenoire says...
6:14pm Fri 1 Mar 13

chrisrobech wrote:
How come the taxi driver who drove the drug dealer around knowing what she was doing has not been charged.
Probably because his Imam put in a good word to the court about what a hard working family man he was and how his 3 wives and 17 kids would suffer if he was banged up.....

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