A fugitive ‘gangster godmother’ has been caught after spending 16 months on the run after she ran a secret cocaine ring from her countryside farm.
Farmer’s wife Lynne Leyson, 52, led a hidden double-life as the ‘godmother’ of a crime gang while presenting herself as a normal rural mother on the family farm.
A £1,000 bounty was offered as Leyson spent more than a year evading police when she was sentenced to nine years in prison. She is believed to have used a string of aliases after skipping bail.
Today, however, police revealed that the 52-year-old was arrested on Monday after being spotted at Pibwr Farm in quiet Capel Dewi, Carmarthenshire, where she based her crime ring.
Detective Chief Inspector Rhys Jones, who led the search, said it sent a ‘strong message’ to organised crime gangs.
He said: ‘The arrest shows our determination to find those who think they can evade justice.
‘I would like to thank officers for their commitment, dedication, support, and persistence in bringing this element of the investigation to a successful conclusion.
‘I would like to thank members of the public for their assistance and information provided over the last 16 months – which has been greatly appreciated’.
‘This will send a strong message that the activities of those individuals linked to Organised Crime Groups operating within the area of Dyfed Powys will not be tolerated, and that they will be brought to justice’.
Leyson’s mugshot has since been issued to all UK police forces along with a list of the false names she may have been using.
Crimestoppers offered a wanted reward of up to £1,000. She has also been added to their ‘Most Wanted’ section of British fugitives.
Neighbours thought she was a respectable country mother – but really it turned out that she was the godmother of family crime gang supplying multi-kilo quantities of cocaine and cannabis to dealers from the isolated smallholding.
Her husband Stephen Leyson and his son Samson were jailed for a total of 17 years in July after the farm was raided by police.
But Lynne Leyson vanished before she was due in court to face justice – and was sentenced by her judge in her absence.
A judge said the mother was a ‘dominant force’ who played a ‘leading role’ in the drugs enterprise.
The court heard officers targeted Pibwr Farm, near Capel Dewi, Carmarthenshire, in the early hours of October 27, 2021.
They recovered over £60,000 of cocaine, £15,615 of cannabis, a 9mm semi-automatic handgun and cash – which they claimed was from a ‘house sale.’
In a Proceeds of Crime hering, Ieuan Rees, prosecuting, told Swansea Crown Court both Stephen and Lynne Leyson benefited from their criminal lifestyle to the tune of £77,967.
Investigators have identified available assets in respect of Stephen in the sum of £33,147 and in respect of Lynne in the sum of £26,442.
Samson Leyson benefited from his involvement to the tune of £69,795 and investigators have identified assets – including a TAG Heuer Formula 1 watch – worth £9,550.
Judge Catherine Richards made confiscation orders in the available sums for the three Leysons, and gave them three months to pay or face additional jail time.
The judge said she was ‘quite sure’ Lynne Leyson would be arrested and brought before a court ‘at some point’.
Lynne Leyson was found guilty by a jury of conspiracy to supply cocaine, conspiracy to supply cannabis, and possessing criminal property.
She was jailed for nine years in her absence.
After the case, one near-neighbour (Sian Leyshon but she asked not to be named) said: ‘We just couldn’t believe it.
‘They seemed like a normal farming family, well a bit rough around the edges like a lot of country people. Lynne seemed very normal really – not a cocaine dealer like she was. It is all very odd.’
She was believed to be using the false name of Annelyn Caldicot.
Leyson appeared at Swansea Crown Court this morning, Tuesday 17th September where she was committed to prison to start her sentence.
She will next appear at Swansea Crown Court on Friday, 4th October.
A 26-year-old female was also arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and has been released on police bail pending further police enquiries.