A £1,000 bounty has been put on the head of a fugitive mother on the run over a secret cocaine gang operating at her countryside farm.
Farmer’s wife Lynne Leyson, 52, led a hidden double-life as the ‘godmother’ of a crime gang behind her respectable front of being a normal rural mother on the family farm.
But she fled before being jailed for nine years – and her mugshot has been issued to all UK police forces along with a false name she may be using.
She has been on the run for more than a year and is believed to go under a string of aliases after skipping bail.
Crimestoppers is offering a wanted reward of up to £1,000. She has also been added to their ‘Most Wanted’ section of British fugitives.
Farmer’s wife Lynne Leyson operated a hidden double life as the godmother of a family crime gang
Police recovered a 9mm semi-automatic handgun which was found stashed at the farm
£15,615 of cannabis was seized by the police at Pibwr Farm, near Capel Dewi, Carmarthenshire
Detective Chief Inspector Rhys Jones said: ‘I urge anyone with information of Leyson’s whereabouts to come forward.
‘You can speak to the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, which is offering a reward of up to £1,000 for information leading to her arrest.
‘She is known to have connections in the Carmarthen and Swansea area but may have travelled further afield. Someone knows where she is or has been over the last few months. Please come forward with any information.’
Neighbours thought she was a respectable country mother – but 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.
Lynne’s husband Stephen Leyson was jailed for 11 years for his role in the cocaine ring
The couple’s son Samson was jailed for six years in July after the farm was raided by police
The family claimed that cash seized by police was from a ‘house sale’
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 hearing, 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’.
Swansea Crown Court heard husband and wife Stephen and Lynne Leyson denied any wrongdoing when they were questioned.
Lynne Leyson was found guilty by a jury of conspiracy to supply cocaine, conspiracy to supply cannabis, and possessing criminal property.
A bench warrant was issued after she previously failed to turn up to court for sentencing – and she has now been 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.’
A Crimestoppers appeal said: ‘Arrest enquiries have been conducted at known addresses where Lynne is likely to frequent. These premises are across Carmarthen and parts of Swansea. To date these have been negative enquiries.
Enquiries to date have returned negative results. A request is being made for Lynne Leyson aka Annelyn Caldicot to be placed on Crimestoppers as a wanted person.
She is described as 5ft 4in, black hair, Brown eyes, right handed, surgical scar on left leg and has a Welsh accent.
Anyone who sees her is asked to call anonymously on 0800 555 111.
