Grandmother caught with 28 grams of cocaine says she thought it was Polyfilla

A grandmother who was caught with £1,500 ($2,100) worth of cocaine in a Tupperware box claimed that she thought the substance was Polyfilla.

Anne-Marie McLoughlin appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday (23 January) where she denied possessing the Class A drug with intent to supply.

The 52-year-old had claimed that she believed the cocaine that was stashed in her home was either the popular building filler or chalk, although this was rejected by a jury in just 30 minutes.

When police officers arrived at her doorstep, in Wilmslow, Cheshire, McLoughlin handed over the drugs while wearing a dressing gown, the Manchester Evening News reported.

McLoughlin was subsequently arrested at the address, in Clough Avenue, on 13 April 2016 and her house searched.

The defendant claimed that she found the box on top of her outside gas meter box the night before and planned to talk to her husband about the box's contents.

The jury heard McLoughlin claim that when she awoke and her husband had left when police arrived and she was arrested.

The court was told that the drugs were found to be 76 percent pure and Cheryl Mottram, for the crown, said that it is believed she was a custodian of the drugs and would not have sold it personally.

Judge Gary Woodhall said McLoughlin had no previous convictions other than a conditional discharge for theft 28 years ago.

"The guidelines call for a prison sentence but I want to consider the matter," he said reported the Manchester Evening News.

McLoughlin has been remanded on bail until 1 March to allow for a pre-sentence report and evidence about her medical problems to be produced.

The court was told that McLoughlin and her husband were currently unemployed due to health difficulties.

McLoughlin was told that guidelines for her crimes had a starting point of three years imprisonment.