Woman helped launder £10k in criminal cash

A woman who helped launder £10,410 in criminal cash using her own bank account has been sentenced.

Amy Taylor transferred money sent to her on six occasions, between May and December 2023, using the references 'holiday', 'puppy' and 'iPhone'.

Douglas Courthouse heard the bank flagged up the suspicious activity to the authorities and the 26-year-old was arrested last year.

Handing her a 12-month jail term, suspended for two years, Deemster Graeme Cook said drug dealers knew they could 'pick on vulnerable, naive and innocent people' and Taylor was 'one of many'.

The court heard investigations had found the people Taylor had transferred money to had been suspected of involvement in the supply of controlled drugs or in moving criminal property.

When Taylor, of Woodbourne Road in Douglas, was arrested she initially told officers she had lost her mobile phone.

She later admitted she had dropped it down a drain in Onchan because she did not want the police to get it until she had a lawyer.

Taylor pleaded guilty to six counts of acquiring criminal property, and six counts of transferring criminal property, between 10 May and 6 December 2023.

Taylor's defence advocate told the court she had become involved through a friend after she had 'put herself into debt' and had not understood how serious her involvement was at the time.

Deemster Cook said while in the past he had taken the view that there needed to be a 'deterrence' against similar offending, by handing down an immediate prison sentence, due to Taylor's employment status and lack of previous convictions he would, on balance, suspend the sentence.