A drug addict who ran a major county line and attempted to recruit others into the operation has thanked a judge after she avoided an immediate prison term.

Kaley Hodgkinson, 35, sold heroin and cocaine from her address in Berefield Way in Colchester using two burner phones to send marketing messages to users.

Ipswich Crown Court heard on Tuesday how a drug user was arrested and police tracked texts sent to his phone back to Hodgkinson, who had been sending marketing messages from two different mobile numbers.

Jail - Kaley Hodgkinson appeared at the court hearing via a video link from HMP PeterboroughKaley Hodgkinson appeared at the court hearing via a video link from HMP Peterborough (Image: Google Street View) The offending took place between March and June this year, with Hodkinson using the proceeds from what was referred as the ‘CJ’ drugs line to fund her own lifelong drug addiction.

Judge Richard Kelly said: “Police viewed an incoming message from the ‘9468’ number which initially appeared to be authentic but was repeated several times on different days, and police realised these were drugs block marketing messages."

When police searched Hodkinson’s house they found two phone handsets, black plastic bags with holes in and scales with drugs on them.

After being arrested, Hodkinson assaulted police officers and showed “abysmal” behaviour in prison.

Hodkinson admitted one charge of each of being concerned in the supply of heroin and being concerned in the supply of cocaine.

Donal Lawler, mitigating, said Hodgkinson’s parents had been addicted to drugs and that she has had the same problem her entire life as a result.

He added Hodkinson’s father had died from drug addiction and she was taken into care during a traumatic childhood.

Sentencing Hodgkinson, who appeared from HMP Peterborough, Judge Kelly mentioned the defendant’s long list of previous convictions.

One involved perverting the course of justice following the murder of Murdoch Brown in Greenstead in 2019, but Hodkinson has no convictions for supplying class A drugs.

Judge Kelly said: “There was undoubtedly financial advantage to be had.

“One can see how the profits could have been significant, but for someone so addicted to drugs like you were, there was no material gain.

Offending - Kaley Hodgkinson dealt the drugs from an address in Berechurch, ColchesterKaley Hodgkinson dealt the drugs from an address in Berechurch, Colchester (Image: Google Street View)

“The only gain was for you to continue to fuel your own drug addiction.”

As Hodgkinson has never received intervention in the form of a drug rehabilitation requirement, Judge Kelly gave her a two-year jail sentence suspended for two years.

She must also carry out a drug rehabilitation requirement for one year.

At the end of the hearing she said: "Thank you for giving me a chance."