A WOMAN sobbed as she was sent to prison for allowing her former home to be run as a drugs den.

Sarah-Louise Daniel, who was jailed for a year, told police she was given two bags of heroin a day in return.

Teesside Crown Court heard that the property, in Grove Street, Stockton, was so busy that during two separate raids by police on November 17 and December 15 last year, officers were “constantly interrupted by customers” who called to score drugs.

Daniel said none of the drugs found were hers and blamed three other individuals she said she had allowed to stay with her.

The 28-year-old, who admitted two counts of permitting the supply of controlled drugs at a premises, claimed she had wanted to kick those responsible out, but fearing repercussions, she instead “kept quiet and let them get on with it”.

Prosecutor Rachel Masters said police found heroin and crack cocaine as well as cash and digital scales at the property.

Michelle Turner, mitigating, said: “She did not offer her premises up, it was a place to stay for a couple of days and it escalated out of her control.”

She said Daniel, of Hartington Road, Stockton, eventually gave up the house, making herself homeless.

She added: “There is no forensic link to any of the items recovered, which is pretty significant.”

Jailing her, Judge Howard Crowson said: “Allowing your premises to be used in this way is a really serious matter.

“The supply of class A drugs….is a real blight particularly in this area and crack and heroin cause untold damage.”

Judge Crowson said he had been impressed by Daniel’s good behaviour while in prison and improvements she made to her life, but a consistent message had to be sent out to people involved in the drugs trade.