A MOTHER-of-three who was being paid by a dealer to keep class A drugs in her house has avoided a jail sentence.

Sarah Louise Brett, of Duchess Mews, York, had cocaine worth £1,500 and cannabis worth £275 stashed at her house when police raided it in November.

The court heard how Brett, 28, was being paid £100 by a dealer to keep the cocaine at her home.

She had agreed to keep the drugs for a fee because she was having financial problems.

She pleaded guilty at York Crown Court to possession of 30.85g of cocaine with intent to supply, and possession of 36.3g of cannabis.

David Garnett, prosecuting, said the drugs were found in her bedroom, hidden from her three young children, along with a pair of digital scales and £110 in cash, which were also seized.

Geraldine Kelly, for Brett, said the cannabis was for personal use to "ease a medical condition".

She said Brett had no previous convictions.

Brett burst into tears in the dock as she was sentenced by Judge Stephen Ashurst to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years, for the cocaine crime and three months, suspended for two years, for the cannabis offence, as well as a supervision requirement.

Passing sentence, Judge Ashurst told her: "By far the more serious of these two offences is the possession of the cocaine with the intent to supply.

"You know perfectly well that those convicted of drug-dealing offences invariably go to prison. Your case is somewhat different.

"You were given the cocaine to look after for someone who you knew was supplying the drug. That in itself is very serious because it is sheltering that person from the court.

"I know that you are very frightened of going to prison today."

But he said that if she went to prison there would be no one to look after her three children.

"Any repetition of this behaviour is going to have very dire consequences for you and your family," he told Brett.

He said the court had been given some very positive character references which, he said, was "unusual" in such cases.