Jailed Newport gangster granny to repay less than £3k

Ex-trainee teacher Angela Collingbourne, 52, of Jenkins Street, Newport, was a “middle manager” in a crime syndicate caught flooding the streets of the city with around 42kg of class-A drugs.

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Her sons Jerome Nunes, 29, and Blane Nunes, 27, were jailed in 2019 for 12 and 14 years respectively as the heads of the drugs gang.

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The three were convicted of conspiracy to supply cocaine between July 31, 2016 and June 15, 2018 after a trial.

Angela Collingbourne was in charge of banking the gang’s enormous profits

They used a family garage ‘business’ as a front for what prosecutor Andrew Jones had dubbed “an organised crime gang controlling a significant proportion of the Newport drugs trade”.

Angela Collingbourne, was caught on CCTV counting thousands of pounds at the garage.

She was in charge of banking the gang’s enormous profits.

Mr Jones told Newport Crown Court during her trial: “It is was a sophisticated group operating covertly and executing their criminal enterprise with precision.”

Collingbourne was caught on CCTV counting “vast amounts of cash” at NP19 Tyres in Newport which was used as a facade by the gang and kept their drugs hotline up and running after fellow gang members were arrested.

There were 16 members of the gang who were jailed for more than 90 years in total.

A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing held at Newport Crown Court was told Collingbourne had benefited by £21,011.42 as a result of her offending.

Judge Daniel Williams heard that only £2,828.42 was available to recover and the defendant has three months to hand the cash over or face an extra two months in jail.