Lisa Wilson, 62, was part of a conspiracy to traffic the 16-year-old boy to her flat, after he had found himself indebted to a drug dealer
02:00, 12 May 2026
A 16-year-old boy from Cardiff was taken to London to work off a drugs debt (Image: Jonathan Myers)
A missing teenager from Cardiff was found in a locked room at a woman’s flat in London after he had been recruited by a drugs gang. He was transported by taxi 150 miles in order to work off a debt after his mother flushed drugs down the toilet.
The 16-year-old boy was trafficked to London to a flat owned by a woman called Lisa Wilson, 62, where she allowed drug dealers to prepare heroin and crack cocaine and which acted as a base for runners to supply from.
Her home in Westbourne Grove was raided by police in February 2023, after concerns were raised about a missing person. Make sure you never miss Wales’ biggest updates by getting our daily newsletter
A sentencing hearing at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on Monday heard officers asked Wilson to unlock a door but after fumbling with some keys, she asked a person inside the room to unlock it from their end.
Inside the room was a 16-year-old boy, who had been reported missing. The boy, from Cardiff, had been sitting at a table which had class A drugs on it.
He had gone missing a few days beforehand after his mother had discovered he was in possession of class A drugs, which she flushed down the toilet.
The boy had been recruited by a drug dealer, who had offered him money to sell drugs on his behalf, but as a result of his mother’s actions he became indebted to the dealer, who told him he would “need to work his debt off”.
Prosecutor Emma Harris said a taxi was arranged to transport the boy from Cardiff to London, and he was taken to Wilson’s flat where he was to be based.
Messages on the defendant’s phone revealed she had been in contact with a dealer who requested young boys be obtained to act as drug runners for his drugs enterprise.
Ms Harris said the boy was a “vulnerable youth, easily led and at risk of exploitation”. The prosecutor added: “The defendant was aware of this and provided a place for him and other trafficked youths to stay. He was learning how to sort, weigh, and package class A drugs.”
The total amount of drugs seized from Wilson’s homes included 53 wraps of heroin, worth £530, and 178 wraps of crack cocaine, worth £3,560.
When the defendant was arrested, she responded: “There were no children here.” She also denied having knowledge of the 16-year-old boy being at her address.
Wilson later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic and allowing premises to be used for drug dealing.
The court heard she has 73 previous convictions for offences including soliciting or prostitution offences, dishonesty, public order offences and court related offences.
Sentencing, Judge Jeremy Jenkins said he would not be passing an immediate custody sentence.
Wilson was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment, suspended for two years. She was also ordered to carry out a rehabilitation activity requirements and an accredited programme requirement of 26 sessions.
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