FIVE-YEAR JAIL TERM FOR DRUGS MASTERMIND

DRUG-DEALING master-mind Amanda Waterfield reacted with disbelief as
she was sentenced to five years in prison.

The 34-year-old's sobs shattered the silent courtroom as she was
found guilty of being the brains behind a ?lm conspiracy to supply
cannabis and cannabis resin.

"Oh, no! It's not true. I'm not guilty"' said Waterfield as the
verdict was announced. She then slumped into her seat and wept
uncontrollably.

Former civil servant Waterfield had strenuously denied the charge, but
was found to be to have been one of the brains behind a UKP 1 million
drugs operation based in East Anglia

The court heard the attempted smuggling involved garages in and
around Bury St Edmunds which were rented in false names and were used
to store the drugs which were imported hidden in. consignments of
Dutch bulbs and flowers before their discovery by drugs officers.

The retrial, which lasted three weeks, ended yesterday as the jury of
six men and six women reached a unanimous verdict of guilty after more
than five hours of delibera-tion.

Judge Nicholas Beddard heard that Waterfield, formerly of Guildhall
Street, Bury St Edmunds, but now of Cambridge, had suffered with
depression since the retrial that followed a hung jury at her previous
trial.

Veronica Rarnsden, mitigating, said her client was taking
anti-depressants because of the stress of the trials. Also, because of
the recent deaths of her boyfriend Toby Fookes, her aunt and her grandmother

Ms Ramsden said Waterfield had become "obsessed" with the death of
Mr Fookes and had been visiting his grave up to five times a week

Judge Beddard said he was not prepared to postpone sentencing. "This
is too large a case with too much money in the background," he said.

Waterfield's former boyfriend David Simpson was sentenced to 12 years
in prison for running the drugs operation, which was thought to
involve millions of pounds, despite UKP 1 million of drugs being seized.
His sentence was lowered to nine years on appeal.

Simpson's mother, Valerie Simpson, was sentenced to seven years for
her involvement sec-ond in command in the business. Her sentence
became five years on appeal.

Judge Beddard said of Waterfield: "You played a key role in the
conspiracy to put large quantities of class B drugs on the market.

"I put your involvement in the conspiracy on equal terms with Valerie
Simpson. Although you had a more active day to day role, I sentenced
her to five years.

"'you should get a longer sentence, but you have been under
considerable strain and must have suffered with two trials hanging
over your head this year.

"Also there is the death of Toby Fookes and the members of your
family."