A 52-year-old woman has avoided an immediate prison sentence for her role in laundering more than £53,000 for her husband and son, who operated a gun and drug enterprise from an illegal traveler site. The judge at Snaresbrook Crown Court cited prison overcrowding as a factor in the decision to grant a suspended sentence.
Sarah Roberts admitted to allowing funds from illegal activities to be deposited into her bank accounts between January 2023 and April 2024. Her husband, Hizekiah Roberts, 49, and son, John Parker, 29, were involved in converting imitation firearms into functional weapons and dealing Class A and Class B drugs. Police discovered guns, ammunition, and drugs during a search of a Ford Transit van at a site in Church Road, Noak Hill, near Romford, Essex, on April 2, 2024. The van was described as a "mobile armory."
During the search, officers found 14 converted firearms, including a submachine gun and two semi-automatic handguns, along with ammunition and conversion tools. The same van also contained nearly a kilogram of MDMA, valued at approximately £40,000, a pill press, and other drug-dealing equipment. A search of a residence at 13 Loom Grove uncovered 3.5kg of amphetamines, worth £35,000, ammunition, and empty firearm boxes.
Evidence presented in court indicated that Hizekiah Roberts and John Parker ran these operations from both the family home and the traveler site. Cell site data placed both men at the Church Road location numerous times shortly before the police search. The prosecution stated that the scale of the firearms operation involved at least 29 weapons, based on those found and additional empty boxes.
Hizekiah Roberts, who has a history of convictions for ram-raids and aggravated offenses, and John Parker, who was on license at the time of his arrest for a previous burglary conviction, are awaiting sentencing in December. Both men have extensive criminal records.
Defending Sarah Roberts, her counsel argued a combination of misplaced loyalty and intellectual capacity influenced her actions. However, the judge stated that the evidence against Roberts was "overwhelming," suggesting she deliberately "closed her eyes" to the criminal activities. She was handed a three-year prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to complete 30 days of rehabilitation and 120 hours of unpaid work for concealing criminal property. The judge emphasized that Roberts was a "willing conduit" for the proceeds of the family's business and that her remorse appeared limited to being caught.
The court's acknowledgment of prison overcrowding is a notable factor in the sentencing, indicating its impact on judicial decisions regarding immediate custodial sentences.