Deborah Mason, a 65-year-old grandmother known as "Queen Bee" and "Gangster Granny," has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for leading a sprawling family-run drug empire that trafficked nearly a tonne of cocaine across the UK, with a street value estimated at £80 million. The sentencing took place on Friday, July 18, 2025, at Woolwich Crown Court, where Mason and seven other family members received a combined total of over 106 years behind bars for their roles in the conspiracy.
The gang operated between April and November 2023, moving cocaine packages from ports such as Harwich, Folkestone, and Dover to cities including London, Bradford, Leicester, Birmingham, Bristol, and Cardiff. Couriers, many of whom were family members, transported the drugs across the country, often taking their young children along for the trips. Each courier reportedly earned at least £1,000 per trip, motivated by significant financial gain rather than coercion, according to prosecutors.
Mason masterminded the operation while fraudulently claiming over £50,000 annually in state benefits, living a lavish lifestyle funded by the drug profits. Her extravagance included designer goods such as Gucci clothing and accessories, and notably, a £400 Gucci collar and lead for her Bengal cat, Ghost, complete with a nine-carat gold engraved name tag. She also expressed intentions to travel to Turkey for cosmetic surgery, underscoring the extent of her indulgence.
Prosecutor Charlotte Hole described the conspiracy as involving "the nationwide supply of around a metric tonne of cocaine," with all offenders fully aware of the scale and financial benefits of the operation. "Everyone involved had an expectation of significant financial advantage, at least £1,000 per trip," she said, highlighting the calculated and motivated nature of the criminal enterprise.
The court heard that Mason played a "leading role" in the network, acting as the "site foreman working under the direction of a site manager," the latter being an upstream supplier known only as "Bugsy." Mason maintained close contact with Bugsy via the encrypted messaging app Signal, which was set to auto-delete messages to maintain secrecy. Over seven months, Mason personally undertook 20 trips, transporting approximately 356 kilograms of cocaine and handling cash deliveries and collections.
Judge Philip Shorrock condemned Mason's actions, stating, "You recruited members of your own family – as a mother you should have been setting an example for your children and not corrupting them." He further noted that several women involved had young children, some of whom were brought along on drug runs, a fact that made it easier for unscrupulous dealers to recruit mothers into criminal activity.
The family members sentenced alongside Mason included her children and close relatives, all heavily involved in the operation. Her daughter Roeseanne Mason, 29, stepped into the directing role while Mason was on holiday in Dubai, making seven trips delivering about 166 kilograms of cocaine and collecting cash payments. She was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Roeseanne also provided childcare so others could continue working within the network.
Demi Bright, 30, another daughter and mother of two, undertook a single trip in August 2023 involving 60 kilograms of cocaine. She took her children on the two-day trip, which included an overnight hotel stay. Although she initially agreed to further deliveries, she dropped out after Roeseanne’s arrest but continued assisting Mason. Demi was also responsible for recruiting Anita Slaughter, 44, a family friend who made one trip transporting 55 kilograms of cocaine and was sentenced to 13 years.
Lillie Bright, 26, was involved in 20 trips transporting 195 kilograms of cocaine. She often traveled with her two-year-old son in the car, alongside kilogrammes of cocaine. Lillie also had 35 grams of cocaine for sale and was sentenced to 13 years and six months. Her partner, Chloe Hodgkin, 23, who is currently awaiting the birth of her baby, was also involved and is to be sentenced at a later date.
Mason’s son, Reggie Bright, 24, made 12 trips delivering at least 90 kilograms of cocaine and sometimes collected wages for the group. A long-time cocaine user, Reggie suffered a brain injury due to his addiction. Despite his claims of ignorance regarding the drug sources, encrypted messages revealed he was in direct contact with Bugsy under the alias "Frank." Reggie was sentenced to 15 years. His partner, Demi Kendall, 31, carried out 15 trips involving 98 kilograms of cocaine, often taking her toddler along, and recruited a friend to the gang, warning her of the serious jail time risk. She received 13 years and six months imprisonment.
Mason’s elder sister, Tina Golding, 66, participated in four trips delivering at least 75 kilograms of cocaine and collected at least £10,000 in wages. She was sentenced to 10 years. The family’s network was sophisticated and highly profitable, as noted by Detective Constable Jack Kraushaar, who led the investigation. He said, "This was a sophisticated operation which was extremely profitable for those involved. The group were sucked into criminality, selfishly attracted by the financial benefits of the drug-dealing to fund lavish lifestyles." He emphasized that the sentencing should serve as a deterrent to others considering similar crimes.
During their months-long surveillance, police tracked the family’s mobile communications and movements, uncovering a tightly run operation that utilized encrypted messaging and aliases to evade detection. The gang’s activities were widespread, with drug drop-offs spanning major cities across England and Wales.
Defense lawyers argued that many participants were "expendable" couriers with limited knowledge of the entire operation, and that Mason’s unassuming appearance was a factor in her selection by higher-ups. However, the court rejected these claims, highlighting the deliberate recruitment and leadership roles Mason and her family played.
Specialist prosecutor Robert Hutchinson described the group as "no ordinary family," stating, "Instead of nurturing and caring for her relatives, Deborah Mason recruited them to establish an extraordinarily profitable criminal enterprise that would ultimately put them all behind bars." The case stands as a stark reminder of how organized crime can infiltrate family ties and communities, leaving devastating consequences in its wake.
