A mum-of-two involved in trafficking high purity cocaine has been freed by a judge who slammed prosecutors for taking more than two years to charge her.
Sian Finney, 22, was caught "red handed" in February 2020 after police searched her home and seized 147 wraps of cocaine, along with scales, cash and mobile phones.
However, Finney initially claimed she was merely hooked on the drug herself and was not involved in any supply, a defence which contributed to her not being charged until June of 2022.
Criticising the Crown Prosecution Service over the delays, Judge Patrick Thompson said that in those two and a half years the defendant had become a "completely different person".
At Chester Crown Court - more than three years after the raid - Finney, now 25, of Halewood, near Liverpool who has got since got herself clean was sentenced to two years jail suspended for 24 months.
The sentence was handed down after she admitted possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply.
Judge Thompson asked the Crown Prosecution Service: "What happened between February 2020 and June 2022? That was two years and four months.
"Police go in, all the stuff is there, she is caught red handed and it takes two years and four months to put somebody before the magistrates.
"It was 88 per cent pure cocaine, in 22 plastic wraps. There was 91% purity cocaine in 110 knotted plastic wraps, and there is another 15 wraps.
"There are 147 wraps, along with cash and scales and that is not enough to charge? Police thought she may be taking 147 wraps for herself? It's remarkable.
"Now I have to decide on something she did over three years ago. What are judges supposed to do?
"In two and a half years the defendant has become a completely different person. In fairness to her, she appears to have turned her life around has had the benefit of an enormous delay in bringing these charges and is drug free. But is it justice?
"I understand that things take a long time but I cannot really understand it when it's 147 wraps. I have never heard a case where anybody has suggested that they are all for themselves."
He told Finney: "You have had to wait a long time to come before the court. That's not your fault and I do not understand that delay.
"But what you have done since is that you have demonstrated that you can live without drugs and live a law-abiding life.
"You have made good use of that time and have not returned to drugs. You have got young children and it is important that you continue to provide a role model for those children. That is what you have got to be. Anyone who thinks drugs are worth that is beyond comprehension. But there is a very realistic prospect of rehabilitation in your case."
The drugs bust occurred at Finney's former home in Northwich where she had lived with her partner.
Oliver King prosecuting said: "Police found a number of bags of cocaine and drug paraphernalia. The total value of the cocaine was between £1,440 and £2,350. It was 8.48g of cocaine and all of it was quite high purity, ranging from 88% and 91%.
"That was found along with adulterants so it could be bulked out. Police also seized three mobile phones which clearly showed that they were being used to supply cocaine. The defendant was linked to three bags of cocaine by DNA evidence.
"When interviewed about that, she indicated that while taking cocaine she was not involved in supplying it. Her financial advantage just seems to be to fund her own habit at the time."
Responding to the judge's criticism Mr King added: "There were three phones to be examined and an expert report obtained. There was also the DNA from the bags to be tested But still, it should not have taken two years. I can only apologise."
Finney had one previous conviction for possession of amphetamine in 2019. She was also ordered to complete 20 days of rehabilitation activity with the probation service.
Her counsel Carmel Wilde said: "he feels that she has turned her life around and she would be grateful for that."
Last November Max Hill, the director of public prosecutions (DPP) for England and Walest said almost 75,000 defendants were awaiting trial due a backlog of cases after court closures due to Covid.
