Woman, 44, becomes first in UK to be jailed under ‘three strikes’ drug-dealing law

A woman is believed to be the first to be jailed in the UK under new “three strikes” drug-dealing laws.

Angela McDougall, 44, a prolific offender from Winsford, Cheshire, was sentenced last week at Chester Crown Court to five years and eight months in prison for dealing class A drugs.

Under the three strikes legislation, introduced in the Sentencing Act 2020, anyone convicted of drug-dealing on three occasions faces an increased sentence.

McDougall, a drug addict, had pleaded guilty to two counts of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs (heroin and crack cocaine) and one count of being concerned in the supply of class B drugs (ketamine).

McDougall also admitted possession of class A drugs (crack cocaine) and class B drugs (cannabis).

The latest case against her arose in July 2020 when officers from Cheshire Constabulary’s Northwich Proactive Policing Unit received intelligence she was dealing drugs again.

Officers searched her home on 25 July and recovered a small amount of crack cocaine and cannabis, along with three mobile phones.

Analysis of the phones uncovered hundreds of messages that indicated McDougall was dealing drugs, Cheshire Constabulary said.

More than £95,000 was paid into McDougall’s bank account in small amounts of between £25 and £100, even though she was unemployed.

The majority of the cash was then transferred into the account of an unknown accomplice, police said.

After McDougall was sentenced, Detective Constable Dean Butterworth said: “As a drug addict herself, McDougall was well aware of the harmful consequences of illegal drugs, but despite this she chose to sell drugs to other vulnerable people across the Winsford area.

“While she claimed that she was only dealing drugs to feed her own habit, it is clear that having been involved in the sale of more than £95,000 worth of illegal drugs she was a major dealer in the area and this has been reflected in the significant sentence that she was handed by the judge.”

Sergeant Paul Cundy, of Winsford Beat Team, added: “McDougall is a prolific offender who has been convicted for more than 100 offences over the years, but thankfully she is now behind bars.

“This is a fantastic result and I hope that it provides reassurance to the local community.

“Here in Winsford we are doing all we can to stop drug activity on our streets to make the town a safer place to live and visit while also making it extremely difficult for dealers like McDougall to operate.”

Under the three strikes law, the minimum sentence for being convicted of a third drug-dealing offence is seven years in prison. However, the court does not have to impose the minimum term.