Drug smuggling selfie-obsessed mum-of-two caught importing thousands of pounds of cannabis into UK covered in Christmas wrapping paper
A SELFIE loving mum-of-two who calls herself ''The Devil's Princess'' has been unmasked as a drug smuggler after she was caught importing cannabis into the UK – wrapped in garish Christmas wrapping paper.
Bernadette McCormack – who regularly posed for social media pictures in brightly coloured flamboyant outfits – had been due to receive a package of cannabis with a street value of £40,000 after it was shipped to her home near Manchester from Spain.
But it was intercepted by customs men at Coventry Airport after they noticed it was wrapped in gaudy red and gold ''Merry Christmas'' wrapping paper. The interception was made on January 6 last year – two weeks after Christmas Day.
When the 30-year-old was confronted at her home in Droylsden she claimed to know nothing of the drugs – and said she thought they contained steroids instead.
But on Tuesday at Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, she was jailed for 15 months after she admitted being knowingly concerned in the importation of cannabis.
McCormack calls herself ''The Devils Princess'' on Instagram and also ''Tinkerbell'' on Facebook where she was pictured pouting in front of her mobile phone camera in a range of dresses and tops and sporting false eyelashes and Scousebrows.
Hailing herself as a ''full time mummy,'' her selfies and accompanying messages portray her as a doting mother.
But prosecuting, David Lees told the court: "On the January 6, 2016 a package addressed to Ms McCormack was intercepted by customs in Coventry.
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"Customs picked up a parcel wrapped in red and gold merry Christmas wrapping paper which was sent from Spain and was found to have four kilograms of cannabis in it.
"After police unwrapped the cannabis they estimated a street value of approximately £40,000.
"Police then went to her house in Manchester and arrested her. The only other person that lived at that address was her sister.
"The defendant claimed she did not know anything about it and she said she thought it was just steroids. Evidence suggested that Ms McCormack was fully aware of what the drugs were and she pleaded guilty.
Defending. lawyer Neil Usher said: "The defendant is worried about the impact on her children if she went to prison. She has been referred for mental difficulties.''
But passing sentence, Judge Angela Nield told McCormack said: ''You had agreed for a parcel to be delivered to your address which contained a quantity of cannabis of around £20,000. This quantity would have found its way onto the street of a value of around £40,000.
"I do not doubt that you were used by the bigger leader invested in this offence. But you nevertheless provided assistance in this case and without the help of people like you in this case it makes it very difficult for those higher up the chain.
"For this reason and because the supply of drugs is a very serious offence, only immediate custody can apply. I accept from what I have read that you have not had an easy life and you have had a number of difficulties.
"You have struggled with your life and this case is likely as a result of those struggles. But in the present circumstances it is my view that only an immediate custodial sentence can be justified.''
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