'I turned my back on drugs to rehabilitate others'

Taylor says Tameside Women's Services have given her "a second chance"

A woman who was prosecuted for supplying cocaine to friends has said she has been supported to swap her "chaotic" former lifestyle for one in which she can now help rehabilitate other offenders.

Taylor, who lives in Tameside, was placed on probation after she was convicted and handed a two-year suspended prison sentence for supplying the Class A drug in 2021.

She said she had "naively" passed on friends' requests to a dealer "without really thinking" about her actions.

Taylor, who asked for her surname not to be used, said the fear of losing her daughter had resulted in her turning her life around with the help of probation services at the Tameside Women's Centre.

'Chaotic friends'

Recalling her younger years, Taylor said: "I had chaotic friends who took drugs.

"They would message me when they wanted their fix, and I naively facilitated that."

When police raided her home, they found messages on her phone which linked her to the supply of cocaine.

Taylor said: "I don't want to minimise it but I didn't really realise what role I was playing until I was sat in a police custody room and they said 'You've done this... you've facilitated the supply'."

She said the gravity of situation "really hit home" at that point, along with the realisation that she may lose her child.

Before her sentencing hearing, she said she was "told to pack a prison bag".

Ultimately, the judge agreed to suspend her sentence, meaning that if she stays out of trouble, she will not spend time behind bars.

Taylor was ordered to work with the probation team at Tameside Women's Centre.

Since being given that wake-up call, she has completed a degree in criminology at the University of Salford and now helps others who find themselves in a similar position.

"I had no confidence," said Taylor. "But the centre helped me regain it with training and support."

Ann Knott, from Tameside Women's Centre, says many people on probation have drug and alcohol issues

Ann Knott, a criminal justice case worker at the centre, said the majority of the people she helps are "on alcohol or drugs".

Additionally, she said about 90% have experienced "domestic abuse", while others have suffered trauma in childhood,

Ms Knott said he role was "trying to get to the bottom of why they're behaving as they are".

According to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, the re-offending rate for women in Greater Manchester was 20.3% in 2023, compared to the England and Wales average of 21.8%.