Two people from Gateshead have been jailed after officers discovered 19kg of high‑purity cocaine hidden beneath Christmas wrapping in December 2024. The seizure, made by Northumbria Police, was described at Newcastle Crown Court as part of an operation to move a large consignment of class A drugs towards Teesside.
What happened
Police stopped a red Vauxhall Astra in Sunderland on 18 December 2024 and found 19 parcels of the drug, each weighing 1kg. Tests showed the material to be between 87% and 92% purity. Prosecutors told the court the packages had been wrapped with gift paper to disguise them.
"Wrapping paper had been placed over the packages to 'make it look as though they were Christmas presents'."
The haul was valued at up to £570,000 wholesale and would have had a processed street value of approximately £1.9m, the court heard. The package was said to be en route to an address in the TS6 postcode area.
The defendants and outcome
Both defendants, who admitted possessing cocaine with intent to supply, are from Gateshead:
- Robert Murphy, 44 — passenger in a Mercedes; jailed for 4 years 8 months.
- Claire Turnbull, 41 — driver of the Astra where the drugs were found; jailed for 5 years 1 month.
| Defendant | Age | Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Robert Murphy | 44 | 4 years 8 months |
| Claire Turnbull | 41 | 5 years 1 month |
Court evidence included CCTV showing Murphy placing two shopping bags containing packages into his vehicle before transferring them into Turnbull’s boot on Sheriffs Highway in Gateshead. The pair were seen communicating in the hours before the stop and set off towards Teesside along the A19. Officers engaged the occupants after Turnbull pulled into Pennywell when she noticed a marked police car following.
Claims made in mitigation
At Newcastle Crown Court, Murphy made no comment to police. Turnbull told officers she had not known what was in the bags. Mitigation for Murphy included an assertion that he had been asked to deliver the drugs to pay off his own drug debt and had been threatened if he assisted prosecutors. Mitigation for Turnbull referred to a history of childhood abuse and domestic violence.
The convictions and sentences reflect the scale of the seizure and the high purity of the drug involved. Northumbria Police’s discovery prevented a significant quantity of class A drugs reaching local streets.
Local residents concerned about drug activity can report information to Northumbria Police via their non‑emergency number or through the force’s online reporting tools. Information passed to police can assist with preventing similar consignments reaching the region.
