Cocaine and cash worth up to £325,000 were found stuffed in bags for life when police busted a couple's home.
Liam Storey and Samantha Haswell were living together at Dacre Street, South Shields, which police had under observation on July 16 last year. They saw Storey leave then return a minute or so later with a bag and five minutes later, officers raided the house.
Emma Dowling, prosecuting, told Newcastle Crown Court they found five kilos of cocaine in a bag for life and £125,000 cash in a second bag for life, both recovered from a wardrobe in a bedroom. Miss Dowling said: "The bedroom had a camera installed in it, the Crown say for security purposes, no doubt.
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"Some images were found from the camera on a mobile phone belonging to Mr Storey. It shows Miss Haswell counting large sums of money from the bag for life on the 6th and 11th of July, so the week before the money being found."
The court heard the five kilos of cocaine was of high purity - between 82% and 91% - and was worth between £175,000 and £200,000. Also found in the address were scales and two bags containing smaller amounts of cocaine, worth £900 and £100.
Storey, 33, of Alfred Street, Walker, Newcastle, pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine with intent and he and Haswell, 29, of Ebchester Street, South Shields, both admitted money laundering. Storey was jailed for five years and three months and Haswell got ten months suspended for two years with 200 hours unpaid work.
Judge Tim Gittins said: "This sort of quantity of drugs is something that causes addiction, misery and a cost to people's mental and physical health, along with the anti-social behaviour and dishonesty which goes with people trying to fund their addiction to this pernicious drug. It is class A for a reason."
Andrew Walker, for Storey, said: "As we all know, the true owners of the drugs and cash are nowhere to be seen when it comes crashing down like this. People like Liam Storey, who are caught in the spotlight, are frankly regarded as expendable by others.
"He got himself into this situation and he knows he will pay the price for it."
Jonathan Cousins, for Haswell, said: "She met Mr Storey at a difficult juncture of her life. Her role in this offence came through Mr Storey.
"She bitterly regrets becoming involved in things and bitterly regrets having a relationship with Mr Storey. She has now moved in with her mother."
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