A MUM who turned to selling drugs after her benefits were stopped has been told she has missed jail ‘by a whisker’.

Sally Beattie, 43, turned to peddling cannabis and amphetamines when the benefits were suspended because she had not completed paperwork.

But after hearing that Beattie was a struggling single mum and wanted help for her problems a judge imposed a suspended sentence.

Anthony Bailey, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court that police with a drugs warrant raided her home in November 2014.

He said when they searched the premises they found thousands of pounds worth of drugs as well as cash and other paraphernalia.

In the house they found 190 grams of herbal cannabis, 80 grams of resin and 20 grams of amphetamines as well as a small amount of cocaine.

“In addition to the drugs they found two sets of scales, grip seal bags and cash totalling £2,665,” he said.

“£205 of that was in the defendant’s purse and £2,460 was found in her son’s man bag. A mobile phone acknowledged to be the defendant’s was seized.”

He said the phone showed a level of dealing in class B drugs in the week of her arrest.

She said she had been selling cannabis and amphetamines for about a year as she had no money because her benefits had been stopped.

Beattie, of Marlowe Avenue, Park North, admitted possessing cannabis and amphetamines with intent to supply and possessing cocaine and criminal property.

Mike Pulsford, defending, said his client has a number of previous convictions, though none for drugs and had been a user for many years.

“She has been reliant on benefits for many years. Those benefits were stopped because forms were not completed and there was a sanction for several weeks in 2014,” he said.

“Her son was then 14, now 16, she was quite desperate. Because she was a drug user then she turned to supplying class B drugs. It is as simple as that.”

He said she still had a bad drink problem for which she needs help and her son has been diagnosed with ADHD, for which she receives a carer’s allowance.

Recorder Michael Vere-Hodge QC told her: “You have had a good deal of trouble with the courts in the past, and a large number of convictions.

“They have almost all been for dishonesty, none for drugs. If they had been for drugs I think my decision making would be different today.

“It seems to me just, and by a very, very, small margin, I can suspended sentence. Certainly the custody threshold has been passed.

“You should recognise how close you are to going through the door to the cells and starting a custodial sentence of some length.

"If there is any breach you can be quite certain any judge sitting where I do, if you come before him or her, will realise this sentence today should have been an immediate prison sentence and will send you to prison for that and for this offence."

He said she had missed jail by a whisker and imposed an 18-month jail term suspended for two years with supervision, alcohol treatment and 60 hours of unpaid work.