A 52 year old street preacher has been sent down for three and a half years at Southwark Crown Court for supplying drugs.
Known by her street alias ‘Maxine’, the defendant was found guilty on all four counts of supplying class A drugs in the Soho area. CCTV and police body cam footage showed her supplying the drugs, including crack cocaine, to undercover police officers on two occasions.
Giving evidence, the undercover officers said that during their investigation they were delivered drugs from the mouth of a “… woman who was dressed glamorous and wearing a wig”. But the court also heard that when tested no DNA evidence could be found linking the defendant to the crime.
Although it could not be determined that the woman in the footage was definitely Maxine, the prosecution claimed that any other interpretation would have to rely on a “big coincidence”.
Upon arrest at her property, no drugs were found. But police retrieved over £900 worth of coins that the defendant claimed she earned from mainly through donations given to her while she was preaching.
Maxine, who was born in Jamaica, is married with three dependent children and was described as a devoted Christian. She had two previous convictions for the possession of class A drugs – in 2018 & 2019 – and was also imprisoned for six months in 2010 on charges not related to this case.
Whilst waiting for the jury to return, the defendant stood before the courtroom dancing, singing, and praying in a manner that suggested she was hopeful of a positive outcome. After two hours of deliberation, the jury delivered the guilty verdict on all four counts.
The judge rejected the defence’s proposition that because Higgins was a user herself, she should be seen as having taken a “lesser role” in the offence.
During sentencing the judge took into consideration the fact that Maxine was the mother of three young children and also that she had been on electronic tag since February 2020 for a total of 417 days. The judge decided that 207 of those days would count towards her sentence.
Maxine was given the minimum sentence of three and half years; with a mandatory half term in custody. She will then be released on license for the rest of her sentence. After hearing her sentence, Maxine shouted out “God knows why he is doing this. What can I say? God is great.”
The custodial term was to start immediately and when leaving the dock Maxine thanked her defence and said, “God bless you barrister”.
She will eligible for release in May 2022.