A grieving mother, Lana Hibbert, is jailed after being unmasked as a drug dealer following her baby son’s accidental death.
Lana Hibbert was just 23. She lost her 14-month-old son, Corey. He died in October 2020 after a bath.
Three years passed since that tragedy. Police arrested Hibbert at her home. It was a 7 a.m. raid in Bolton. They suspected drug dealing for nine months. She allegedly sold cocaine and cannabis.
Officers found cash and drug scales. They discovered drugs worth £710. Her pink iPhone had drug-related terms. “Bashing” means diluting drugs to earn more. This maximizes profit for the dealers.
Hibbert first claimed the drugs were for her. She said the money was for Corey’s headstone. The court found these claims to be untrue. She admitted to supplying drugs and also possessed criminal property, receiving consequently a three-year sentence.
The judge said she lied to the police. Her messages showed her drug involvement and she played a major role. He said she was untruthful about the money. He hoped jail would give her time to reflect.
The police raid happened in November 2023. They learned she dealt from her home, something that had been happening since February. Police found cocaine and cannabis at her home. Initially, she denied dealing crack cocaine.
Her phone contained drug dealing evidence with messages discussing amounts and prices. Then she said she only used drugs. She claimed she bagged them herself and wouldn’t give police her phone passcode.
Hibbert faces a hearing about criminal proceeds and claimed mental health problems. An inquest occurred in 2022 for Corey. He splashed in the bath causing wet floors.
Hibbert said she left briefly because she wanted to check the dryer. She called a friend and said Corey wasn’t breathing. Paramedics tried to revive him, but he died at the hospital.
The coroner spoke at the inquest, confirming that Corey was healthy and well cared for. He was left alone briefly and drowned. The coroner expressed the case’s tragedy. Unsupervised time can lead to such a situation which is every parent’s worst fear.
Hibbert said Corey loved people. He was a normal, happy little boy. He didn’t need toys to be entertained.