A ‘naive’ woman almost lost her liberty after getting dragged into money laundering for drug gangs.

Amy Sarah Taylor, of Woodbourne Road, Douglas, admitted receiving cash into her account, then transferring cash to other people, on 12 occasions during 2023 – amounting to more than £10,000.

The 26-year-old appeared at the Court of General Gaol Delivery at Douglas Courthouse on Friday for sentencing.

She previously admitted acquiring £760 into her account on May 10, £2,100 on July 13, £530 on July 20, £2,720 on November 22, £1,800 on December 6, and £2,500 on November 15.

She also admitted transferring £700 to a male on May 10, £2,100 to a woman on July 13, £500 to a man on July 20, £2,500 on November 15, £2,500 to a man on November 22, and £1,800 to a woman on December 6.

She said that one of the people Taylor had transferred money to was a woman from Liverpool, who had previously been involved in trying to smuggle £92,000 in cash off the island, and one of the males had a previous conviction for supplying drugs.

During a police interview Taylor answered ‘no comment’ to all questions but before that she told officers she had ‘dropped her phone down a drain in Onchan’ admitting she did not want them to see the phone.

Defence advocate David Reynolds told the court Taylor had pleaded guilty early and has no previous convictions.

He said she is genuinely remorseful and has been in continual employment working in healthcare. He also argued she had been taken advantage of.

He said: ‘My client has lost the trust of her family and friends and is embarrassed by her actions. She now needs to earn that trust back.

‘She had got herself into debt and saw an opportunity but did not appreciate how serious this was. She admits she was naïve.

Deemster Graeme Cook accepted Taylor was somewhat ignorant of just how serious the situation was.

He said: ‘Rather naively you got involved in an operation where drugs came in and money went out. You are one of many drug dealers have picked on.

‘But I do take a dim view of destroying evidence by getting rid of your mobile phone.’

For the six offences of obtaining money she was handed a six-month jail sentence and was also given a six-month sentence consecutively for disposing of the money.

However, Deemster Cook decided he was able to suspend the sentence due to her previous good character.

The year-long prison sentence was suspended for two years with a two-year supervision order.

Deemster Cook told Taylor: ‘There needs to be a deterrent so naïve people like you are not drawn into such criminal activity.’

During an earlier hearing at the summary court late last year, advocate Mr Reynolds, representing Tayloe, said she ‘was clearly towards the bottom end’ of the criminal enterprise, saying she was ‘taken advantage of.’