A “GANGSTER godmother” who led a double life as a drug queen posed as an NHS consultant while evading cops for 14 months.
Lynne Leyson, 53, pretended to be a normal mum working on her family’s rural farm.
In reality, she was heading up a lucrative drug empire that flooded the streets with cocaine and cannabis.
The mum ended up on a Most Wanted list with a £1,000 bounty on her head after skipping out on her nine-year jail term.
Swansea Crown Court heard she evaded cops for 429 days in total by posing as a consultant neurologist – complete with scrubs and a stethoscope.
Leyson changed her name by deed poll to Anwen Caldicott as she travelled across the UK.
The mum was eventually arrested at her farm in Carmarthenshire after police became aware she was planning to return.
She has now been handed an extra two months in prison, which has been added on to her existing nine-year jail term.
The court was told Leyson was a “dominant force” in the drug empire, which was busted in October 2021.
Police raiding the farm discovered over £60,000 of cocaine, £15,615 of cannabis, a 9mm semi-automatic handgun and cash.
Leyson and her husband Stephen benefited from their criminal lifestyle to the tune of £77,967.
Son Samson raked in £69,795 – spending his ill-gotten gains on luxury items including a Tag Heuer Formula 1 watch worth almost £10,000.
He and dad Stephen Leyson were jailed for a total of 17 years in July last year but Lynne Leyson was sentenced in her absence.
The fugitive remained at large as her mugshot and aliases were issued to all UK police forces, the Border Force and Interpol.
Addresses linked to “known associates” of Leyson were searched as well as international raids carried out in Spain and Ireland.
Police also acted on information she may have had access to a boat docked at Brighton Marina.
But Leyson returned to the family farm last month to “effectively say goodbye to her family and to hand herself in”.
Prosecutor Ieuan Rees said: “A matter of concern was that in her possession was an NHS lanyard with an identity card displayed showing the name Lynne Daley, with a consultant lead neurologist title attached to it.
“In addition there was stethoscopes, scrubs, and booklets with details of potential patients recorded.”
Her lawyer said Leyson, who pleaded guilty to breaching her bail conditions, used the NHS outfit as “fancy dress” and not to defraud health chiefs.
Detective Chief Inspector Rhys Jones, who led the search, said her arrest had 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.”
