A WOMAN was arrested in Haverfordwest after police found thousands of pounds in cash and a large quantity of cannabis concealed in a safe under her bed.

Samantha Whelton, aged 39, was stopped by officers on October 25 while carrying a Tesco carrier bag containing £3,000 in cash. The money, made up of £10 and £20 notes, was discovered during her arrest in the town.

Prosecutor Brian Simpson told the court Whelton claimed the cash was savings she intended to use to buy a car.

Following her arrest, Dyfed-Powys Police searched Whelton’s home on Heol Derwen, Merlin’s Bridge. During the search, officers discovered a “bag for life” underneath her bed containing a safe which smelled strongly of cannabis.

Inside the safe were 688 grams of cannabis, with an estimated street value of up to £4,200. Police also seized four mobile phones and four tablet devices from the property.

During interview, Whelton maintained the cash had come from benefits savings and gambling winnings. She denied ownership of the safe and suggested someone else must have placed it in her home, claiming she had left her back door unlocked.

Whelton later pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis with intent to supply. A separate charge of possession of criminal property was not pursued by the prosecution.

The court heard Whelton has four previous convictions for six offences. In June last year, she received a suspended sentence for possession with intent to supply cocaine and obstructing police.

Defence solicitor Emily Bennett said Whelton’s early guilty plea should be treated as significant mitigation.

“She has taken responsibility for her actions and deeply regrets what she has done,” she told the court. “This defendant struggles with substance misuse.”

Ms Bennett also said Whelton is the primary carer for her teenage child and highlighted the impact of imprisonment, noting that any custodial sentence would mean serving time a considerable distance from home due to the lack of women’s prisons in Wales.

Judge Catherine Richards sentenced Whelton to 12 months, and activated 10 months her suspended sentence to run consecutively.

A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing will be heard in April 2026.