A Consett mother has been jailed for her part in a drugs gang which flooded the North East with millions of pounds of import-strength cocaine.
Anita Towler, 43, claimed that she had been put under pressure by her "dominant and violent" champion cage fighter brother Darren Towler, who she said physically and emotionally threatened her to join his drugs ring, which saw amphetamines and cannabis as well as the cocaine couriered to the North East from Liverpool.
Professional MMA fighter Darren Towler, 41, who was the head of the North East-based gang, is still on the run after being convicted in his absence of orchestrating the conspiracy alongside his sister, half-brother and girlfriend. He was sentenced to 24 years in prison earlier this month after a jury found him guilty of conspiracy to supply class A and B drugs.
