First woman County Lines drug dealer jailed after boasting of wealth on Snapchat

The first woman convicted of running a County Lines operation in the West Midlands has been jailed for three and a half years - after bragging about her luxury lifestyle on Snapchat. 

Henna Ashra, from Harborne, made "significant financial gain" and boasted about her spending on social media, including a £500 haircut.

Robert Tolhurst, prosecuting at Birmingham Crown Court, said: "The defendant ran the County Lines drug dealing operation herself and clearly had access to Class A drugs which were trafficked to Torquay and sold to users."

He said Ashraf, 25, had a network of contacts and would send messages to customers when she travelled to Torquay to sell drugs.

"It is clear from the messages the customers offered services as runners and street dealers on her behalf," he said.

Mr Tolhurst adds: "The defendant used a variety of vehicles to make those journeys and she made significant financial gain from her operation as evidenced from Snapchat posts of her lifestyle."

Mr Tolhurst said the operation ran from October 30 to November 4 and that Ashraf made five trips before being arrested on the final journey, while driving along the M5.

When police seized her personal phone they found evidence of how she had flashed her criminal wealth on Snapchat, posting pictures of wads of cash and inside her expensive Mercedes.

Ashraf also enjoyed being pampered in Knightsbridge, London, where she spent £500 on a single haircut.

Mr Tolhurst said that Ashraf had made attempts to dispose of evidence, throwing drugs from her vehicle, disposing of a sim card on a phone used for the drugs line and destroying a hand set.

Ashraf, of Croftdown Road, had previously been convicted of being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin following a trial.

In passing sentence Recorder Sacha Ackland said there was evidence of "expenditure and large amounts of cash You had a significant role in the operation. You made your own decisions."

Christopher Harding, defending, said that references showed that what Ashraf had done was out of character and that she herself was not a drug user or addict.

He said the jury may have concluded there was a "measure of compulsion from outside" and added: "She was very young to be convicted of a County Lines drugs operation.

"It suggests a naivety, lack of guile and care that may well have lead to her making some very poor decisions."

He added she had no previous convictions and that her attempts to dispose of evidence were "spur of the moment".