A young mother found guilty of conspiring to import drugs via US Base personnel was yesterday sentenced to 12 years prison.

The 27-year-old mother of one, Charlene Sarah Webb, remained composed as prison officers led her away before a quiet crowd of friends and family.

Her lawyer Mr. Edward Bailey will decide this week whether to appeal the sentence.

But he said it was likely his client would be appealing both her sentence on the grounds it was "too severe'' and "excessive'' and her conviction by a Supreme Court jury last March.

Clutching a handkerchief, Webb, the mother of an eight-year-old girl, maintained her innocence up until the last moment but appeared cheerful as she left the dock.

Puisne Judge the Hon. Mr. Justice Ground said he took into account her age, family circumstances and clean record but said he was bound to "look at or beyond the upper end of the range'' because of the length of conspiracy and the amounts of drugs involved.

" ... the cocaine you were responsible for importing would have caused untold misery and suffering in Bermuda,'' he said.

Narcotics officer linked packages containing 459 grams of cocaine and 863 grams of cannabis intercepted in October 1993 to Webb.

Yesterday Mr. Ground sentenced Webb to 12 years for conspiring to import cocaine which he regarded as the most serious offence.

On the five remaining counts of conspiring to import cannabis, and importing and possessing cocaine and cannabis he gave her sentences ranging from eight to ten years to run concurrently.

His sentence struck a middle ground between Crown Counsel Mr. Khamisi Tokumbo's suggested range of 15 to 20 years and four and half to seven and a half by Mr. Bailey.

Webb of White Hill, Sandys Parish was convicted by a Supreme Court jury within two hours last March of using US Base personnel and Base post office boxes to import cannabis and cocaine worth almost $200,000 over an 18-month period.

Young mother sent to jail for drugs A US Navy court convicted servicemen and Oswald Farrel and Carl Storey of conspiring with Webb to import drugs into Bermuda but they served just six months and 15 months respectively after agreeing to testify against her.

Mr. Bailey yesterday claimed the testimony of the two servicemen would be a major ground for appealing the conviction.