AN Ipswich woman is under a suspended jail sentence today after letting her lodger use her home for drug dealing.

AN Ipswich woman is under a suspended jail sentence today after letting her lodger use her home for drug dealing.

Ipswich Crown Court heard that Vanessa Manwaring, of Heatherhayes, was too weak-willed to kick the man out of her house.

Manwaring was given a 30-week suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to letting her premises be used for supplying Class B or C drugs between December 2009 and February 14 this year.

The 34-year-old also admitted possessing the Class B drug amphetamine.

In mitigation, her lawyer John Farmer said his client had failed to make an attempt to stop her lodger David George selling drugs.

Mr Farmer told the court: “It's a lack of fortitude of character at this stage of her life that permitted it to continue. It's a failure to take positive steps to chuck him out or go to the police.”

The court heard that as a result of Manwaring's arrest following a police drugs' raid on February 13 she had lost her job and custody of her children.

Prosecutor Ros Jones said when officers executed a search warrant they found Manwaring, George and two other people at the property in Heatherhayes.

George was around the area of the patio doors where police found skunk, a potent form of cannabis. When officers went into the kitchen they saw electronic scales, two telephones, cannabis, herbal cannabis and white powder.

In the fridge they found a tub, a wrap of amphetamine and three bags of white powder.

Manwaring told police she had no knowledge of drug dealing in her home and had just returned from work. However, she did admit to knowing about the herbal cannabis and possessing the amphetamine in her fridge.

The court heard two other people had been convicted of drug offences relating to the raid in Heatherhayes.

One was guilty of two counts of possessing a Class A drug with intent to supply and also a Class B drug with intent to supply.

The other was convicted of possession of a Class B drug with intent to supply.

In addition to the suspended sentence, Judge Neil McKittrick ordered Manwaring - who has no previous convictions - to do 80 hours unpaid work and told her she would be subject to a probation order.