Coats, Goldie

Goldie Coats was convicted on 7th November 2008 of being knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of the prohibition on the importation of goods contrary to section 170(2)(b) of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979.

Ms Coats was travelling with her co-defendant, Aaron Blackstock, when they were stopped by HM Revenue and Customs Officers at Heathrow in October 2007 on a return flight from Jamaica. Their luggage contained 1.26 kg of cocaine at 100% purity with a street value of £64,000.

Mr Blackstock pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment.

Ms Coats pleaded not guilty; she said she had no idea that the suitcases contained drugs. She was convicted and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment.

Ms Coats was refused leave to appeal against her sentence and did not seek to appeal against her conviction. She applied to the CCRC September 2009.

Having investigated the case, the CCRC decided to refer Ms Coats’ case to the Court of Appeal because it considered that new medical evidence indicating that Ms Coats had been suffering from battered woman syndrome at the time of the offence raised a real possibility that the Court of Appeal would quash the conviction or reduce the sentence.

The CCRC referred the conviction and sentence in March 2012.

The Court of Appeal upheld the conviction and sentence in July 2013.