Woman who hid criminal cash behind mirror sentenced

Charlotte Gatt was given a 18-month suspended sentence at Douglas Courthouse

A woman who was found with £36,000 linked to cocaine dealing and hid cash behind a dressing room mirror as been handed a suspended sentence.

Mother-of-one Charlotte Gatt was found to have a tick list at her workplace featuring names and values of the drug in December 2019.

Prosecutors said the list revealed evidence of buying and selling cocaine.

Douglas Courthouse heard about £34,800 pounds had been deposited into her bank account from unknown sources.

She was given 18-month prison sentence, suspended for two years with two years of supervision.

The court heard £1,940 was found inside an envelope hidden behind the mirror at her home before a search at her employer's offices uncovered the list, which also detailed plans to travel to Parklife festival in Manchester.

The 26-year-old, of Governors Hill in Douglas, initially claimed she had been "set up" and someone had broken into her workplace, copied her handwriting and planted the tick list, but analysis confirmed the handwriting was hers.

She pleaded guilty to two charges of being in possession of criminal cash.

Gatt's advocate said she had been in "considerable debt" after taking out various car loans, which then "spiralled out of control".

Sentencing her, Deemster Graeme Cook said Gatt's claim that she had been framed had been "utterly bizarre" and described her as a "foolish young lady".

However, the deemster said he was willing to suspend the sentence because she was the mother of a young child, was in good employment and was well thought of in the community because of charity work she had carried out.

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