August 21st 2024.
Elizabeth Balaam, a 67-year-old pensioner, was known as the 'Queenpin' of a major heroin operation. Despite being wheelchair-bound, she was the head of a large drug ring. However, her reign came to an end when she was caught red-handed by police in September 2022.
The police had burst into her home in Thetford, Norfolk and found Balaam weighing and bagging large quantities of street heroin. The evidence against her was clear - two containers of brown powder and a pre-packed bag of 20 grams of heroin were discovered on her coffee table. The street value of the drugs was estimated to be over £1,000.
Balaam had a long history with the law, with 28 previous convictions and 74 offences, including the selling of crack cocaine. At first, she denied the charges of possessing class A drugs with intent to supply. However, a month before her trial, she changed her plea to guilty.
During her sentencing at Norwich Crown Court, Judge David Pugh took into consideration Balaam's vulnerability and her reasons for turning to drug dealing. He noted that her actions were mainly to fund her own drug addiction. As a result, he suspended her two-year sentence for 24 months.
The court heard that Balaam had become addicted to drugs during her marriage, but had recently started bulk buying heroin and selling it to other addicts. Her illegal activities were brought to light after a police surveillance operation, which monitored a large number of known addicts visiting her home regularly. One woman who was seen leaving her home was later found with white powder, identified as street heroin.
In her defense, Balaam's lawyer, John Morgans, stated that his client was now seeking help and treatment for her addiction. He also highlighted her poor health and fear of imprisonment, as she was effectively on oxygen 24 hours a day. Despite her past actions, it was clear that Balaam was remorseful and trying to turn her life around.
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