Thatcham drug dealer Charlotte Dudley breaks vow to judge…but still stays out of jail
A DRUG dealer given a ‘last chance’ promised a judge: “I won’t let you down” – then did exactly that.
Previously, the Newbury Weekly News reported how the woman’s barrister persuaded a judge not to imprison his client, pleading: “It’s a real leap of faith.
“I invite Your Honour to take it.”
Judge Heather Nott noted that Charlotte Dudley had broken court orders before, adding: “She’s breached them all.”
Nevertheless, at that previous sentencing she suspended the prison sentence for dealing the crack cocaine and heroin that Dudley had hidden in a plastic Kinder egg.
Dudley told Judge Nott: “I won’t let you down – I will not fail.”
But within months she had done just that, Reading Crown Court heard on Monday, March 17.
The 51-year-old, of Sedge Grove, Thatcham, denied aggravated vehicle taking without consent, which resulted in damage to the car and to a wall, on December 29, 2023.
But she was convicted of the offence, plus driving without insurance or a valid licence on the same occasion, thereby placing her in breach of the suspended sentence order.
To make matters worse, Dudley had crashed the car which she had taken without the owner’s consent, the court heard.
She also admitted possessing the Class A-controlled drugs heroin and crack cocaine – again, concealed in a Kinder egg – with intent to supply them on May 25, 2021, although these offences were committed before she received the suspended sentence.
Dudley has almost 50 previous convictions, including drug dealing and driving offences.
Anne Marie Critchley, prosecuting, said police had searched a car being driven by Dudley in which her mother, Anne Phillips, and her then partner, Laura Townsend, were passengers.
Inside, concealed in the plastic egg, were wraps of heroin and crack cocaine with a street value of around £640, added Ms Critchley.
She went on: “Her address and her mother’s address were searched.
“At both addresses police found scales and trace amounts of both drugs on them.”
Tim Kiely, defending, said his client had weaned herself off both heroin and the prescribed heroin substitute, methadone.
He acknowledged that Dudley still struggled with a crack cocaine habit but added: “It would be a great shame if that were to be the thing that derails the substantial progress made by this defendant.”
Judge Alan Blake told Dudley: “You were dealing to a small number of people you knew, rather than on a commercial basis.”
But the vehicle taking happened just months into the suspended prison sentence period, he noted.
However, added Judge Blake: “When clear of controlled drugs you’re capable of living a law-abiding life.
“There has been some progress in relation to heroin and methadone and the court doesn’t underestimate the difficulties.”
He said he did not want to interrupt Dudley’s “journey of recovery” by activating the suspended sentence.
However Judge Blake concluded with a stark warning: any subsequent conviction for dealing Class A drugs would trigger the ‘three strikes’ rule.
That meant an immediate custodial sentence of seven years would be inevitable.
Judge Blake warned: “You would find that an almighty shock, going from suspended sentences to that.”
Dudley was fined £350 for breaching the suspended sentence order.
For the drug dealing she was sentenced to two years imprisonment, suspended for 18 months.
In addition, Dudley was banned from driving for 18 months.
Finally, she was ordered to pay £50 costs plus a statutory victim services surcharge.