A mum and two other women have been sentenced for letting their homes be used to store drugs.

Police stormed three addresses during drug raids in September 2019, including Donna Grange’s home on Ravenoak Drive, Failsworth, Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Betsy Hindle said officers found five blocks of cannabis, 5.9 grams of cocaine and 21.97 grams of crack cocaine.

Grange, 52, of Ravenoak Drive, initially told officers the drugs were hers before later confessing that she was storing them for her son.

Officers also found diamorphine, cannabis, and cocaine at an address on Liberty Close, Middleton where Keeleigh Lawson, 27, was living and amphetamine at a property on Makkah Close, Manchester where Joanne Grange, 48, was living with her children.

They all appeared in court on Thursday after pleading guilty to permitting a premises to be used for the supply of drugs.

The court heard that the delay in bringing the case to court was due to the impact of the pandemic.

Defence barrister Henry Blackshaw, representing Lawson, said that aged 18 Lawson started a relationship with Donna Grange’s son, who he referred to as the “principal offender” in the case.

He said Lawson, who has no previous convictions, was “emotionally beholden” and “controlled” by him and became the mother of his child in 2018.

Mr Blackshaw said Lawson was a “hardworking” individual who gave up work to care for her daughter who is turning five next month.

He called on Judge Tina Landale to consider Lawson’s caring responsibilities as a mother when passing sentence.

In defence for Donna Grange, defence barrister Mark Phillips said Grange had previously had problems with drugs but has been clear of them since 2015. He said her son then asked her to keep the drugs in her property and she initially said no but being “vulnerable” and “intimidated” by him later agreed.

He added that Grange had thought her son would “smash up” her property if she refused him and that she received no profits from the drug operation.

Mr Phillps said Grange has now lost contact with her son, who is “no longer on the scene”, and has “cleaned up her life” and no longer using drugs.

He added that Grange would not cope in prison due to a brain injury that has left her debilitated and in need of care.

Defending for Joanne Grange, defence barrister Stuart Duke said she is on the “verge of becoming homeless” due to her private landlord planning to sell her property where she lives with her three children.

He called on Judge Landale to also consider that Grange pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and has been on bail for four years.

The court heard that Joanne Grange has six previous convictions for eight offences and Donna Grange has 22 previous convictions for 75 offences.

Addressing the three women when passing sentence, Judge Landale said: “The real offender is nowhere to be seen and you have been left holding the responsibility."

She noted that all three women had been left with the thought of the impending court proceedings “hanging over” them for the last four years and that all three had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

Judge Landale acknowledged all the points made in mitigation.

She then sentenced Donna Grange to a two-year community order and 20 rehabilitation activity requirement (RAR) days, Joanne Grange to a 12-month community order and 15 RAR days and Keeleigh Lawson to a 12-month community order and 10 RAR days.