Family jailed for drug offences

The family enterprise was uncovered as part of a six-month operation

A mother and her two sons who supplied cocaine to London clubbers virtually 24 hours a day have all been jailed.

Karen Stott, 49, ran a "well organised" operation using a shift system to ferry deliveries to customers throughout the M25, Southwark Crown Court heard.

Stott, from Camden Town, north London, and her son Vidal, 24, were both jailed for three years. Her youngest son Khan, 24, was given 27 months.

All three admitted supplying cocaine between April and September 2007.

Mother's culpability

Passing sentence Judge Martin Beddoe said: "This was well-organised and, as a result, on no less than 23 occasions test purchasers were able to buy significant quantities of cocaine at relatively high quality."

The trio operated a shift system with one of them on call via a mobile phone to travel anywhere within the M25 to supply cocaine.

There's every indication but for your lead and encouragement neither [of your sons] would have become involved Judge Martin Beddoe

Undercover police officers posed as customers to buy cocaine from the family during a six-month operation.

Jurors heard that test purchases carried out by officers alone netted the family £5,000.

The wraps were later analysed and found to contain 50% pure cocaine.

Karen Stott was later arrested at her home, while Vidal Stott, of Oxford Road, Kilburn, north-west London, was detained shortly afterwards driving through central London.

His car was searched and £300 from an earlier drug deal found. His home was also searched and nearly 20 grams of cocaine was found along with electronic scales.

Khan Stott, of no fixed abode, handed himself into police later that day.

Judge Beddoe told the mother she had "compounded the seriousness" of her situation by recruiting her sons.

"But they were and are grown men so I don't exaggerate that culpability on your part. However, there's every indication but for your lead and encouragement neither would have become involved."