TWO women who were part of gang which brought drugs down from London to sell in Bridgwater and Taunton were sentenced at Taunton Crown Court today, (April 16).

Gail Talbot, 45 and Faith Jones-Alli, 18 were just two of 10 people who were investigated following an undercover drugs operation by Avon and Somerset Police in 2013 and 2014.

Their sentencing follows that of six others back in February when the court heard how Class A drugs were sold on the streets of Bridgwater and Taunton before cash was paid into bank accounts of the gang leaders.

Today, the court heard how the role of Talbot and Jones-Alli was a minor one compared to that of others.

Talbot, from Rochdale but who was living in Bridgwater at the time of the offence said she only went and supplied drugs when her partner was unable to.

Talbot pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs on September 2014.

She was given credit for her guilty plea by Judge Ticehurst and was sentenced to a 12 month community order, a supervision order for 12 months and a 12 month rehabilitation requirement.

Jones-Alli from Gravesend pleaded guilty to money laundering charge and conspiracy to supply Class A drugs shortly before a trial last year after she supplied them to an undercover officer on July 3 and 9 in 2013 and after depositing £730 into one of the gang leader’s bank accounts on August 7.

She was given a 12 month suspended sentence at a young offenders’ institution for each charge which was suspended for 12 months.

She was also given a 12 month supervision requirement.

Judge Ticehurst told her that although he knew she had not had an easy upbringing, he had been told that she was intelligent.

Already sentenced earlier this year were Anh-Tuan Tran West 22 from south-east London who was jailed for eight years, Christopher Longe, 19, from south-east London who was sentenced to six years in a young offenders’ institution, Michael Boateng who was given a two-year suspended sentence, Wayne Clist of Wellington Road in Bridgwater who was given a two-year community order and two youths who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Talbot’s partner, Kevin Melody will be sentenced in three weeks and a warrant for bail was sent out for Gemma Duddridge of Wellington Road in Bridgwater who did not turn up to be sentenced today.