A mum-of-two caught with nine bags of cocaine in her handbag has avoided an immedate jail term.

Kate Nelmes of Rosemary Lane, Stroat, near Chepstow, was merely acting as a 'custodian' of the drugs for her boyfriend, Gloucester Crown Court was told.

She admitted possession of the 11.74 grams of cocaine, worth between £240 and £300, with intent to supply on 31st October last year.

After hearing that she is needed in the family to help care for her grandchild and her grandparents, Recorder Nicholas Rowland said he would not lock her up.

He imposed a two-year jail term suspended for two years with supervision for a year. He also ordered her to pay a £100 surcharge.

Prosecutor Nick O'Brien said the nine zip bags of cocaine were found in her handbag when police executed a search warrant at the home she shared with her partner.

"We accept she was merely a custodian for him," said Mr O'Brien, who said other cocaine was also found in the house that was not directly connected to her.

Imogen McCabe, defending, said she would not have benefited from the drug and would simply have given it back to her boyfriend when he wanted it.

She had a lot going on in her life at that time and was distracted and did not think through the consequences of her actions, Ms McCabe said.

"She trusted her partner and realises now she should not have done. She has two children aged 17 and 20 and at the time of the offence her daughter was on her own and had become pregnant.

"Her daughter now has a one-year-old baby and has no partner so my client is very involved in helping to look after that baby.

"Her son also has a child.

"Her grandparents are in their eighties and rely on her very heavily."

Nelmes, who had always worked, realised now that she had been 'very. very foolish', she added.

Her health had suffered from the stress of being arrested and waiting for sentence and she was now taking sleeping tablets, she said.

Recorder Rowland said he accepted her involvement with drugs was 'extremely limited' and that she had considerable family committments.

He warned her that any further offence in breach of her suspended sentence would mean her being locked up.