DEALER'S DEFENCE: CHASING SON'S KILLER

Cocaine-Trafficking Grandma Gets Six Years

A Winnipeg grandmother got involved in the city's drug culture and
became a pivotal figure in a massive trafficking network in an attempt
to find the truth behind her son's unsolved murder, her lawyer claimed
yesterday.

Donna Anderson, 58, was sentenced to six years in prison after being
convicted at trial of conspiracy to traffic crack cocaine, possession
of cocaine and possession of proceeds of crime.

Defence lawyer David Guttman said yesterday his client was hardly a
drug kingpin, but rather a grieving mother who went to extreme lengths
in the name of her slain son -- a man police have identified as a drug
dealer and biker associate.

"This was an otherwise law-abiding woman until her son was killed. She
tried to penetrate the drug sub-culture to solve her son's murder,"
said Guttman.

"This was her telling police "since you guys aren't going to do
anything about this, I'm going to'." She's not the first member of her
family to cite the unsolved murder during a sentencing hearing.

In July 2003, her daughter, Dawn Anderson, was given a 14-month jail
sentence after pleading guilty to posession of cocaine for the purpose
of trafficking. She asked for leniency on the grounds she was still
grieving the death of her brother.

Bradley Russell Anderson, 31, was killed execution-style on the
outskirts of Winnipeg in January 2001. Police believe his killing was
gang related but have not identified any suspects.

Police say Anderson was a mid-level cocaine dealer who slashed an
associate member of the Hells Angels in the face just days before he
was killed.

Instead of solving a murder, Donna Anderson quickly found herself
organizing a dial-a-dealer drug operation which was raking in profits.
She was hiring drivers, arranging for their cars and cell phones.,
obtaining the cocaine and giving it out for re-sale. She was even
offering a sales incentive -- $1,000 bonuses for every $15,000 per
night in sales.

"You certainly can't get much more organized than that," said Crown
attorney Michael Foote.

Anderson's crew was targeting the weak and vulnerable in society,
noting that sales would spike on nights that social assistance and
child benefit cheques were issued.

The Crown was seeking a sentence of up to 10 years for Anderson,
saying it's rare someone so high up the "drug food chain" is caught.