A FORMER Eastenders star from Chelmsford has appeared in court charged with importing drugs in to the UK.
Actress Leanne Lakey, 39, appeared at Croydon Crown Court in south London, charged with one count of importing class A drugs into the country.
The Chelmsford and Mid Essex Times understands that Ms Lakey is accused of smuggling 6lbs of cocaine into Britain hidden in the bottom of a suitcase.
The actress, who played Belinda Peacock in the BBC soap from 2001 to 2003, denied the charge at court.
The 39-year-old, who also played Charlotte Day in Channel 5’s Family Affairs, will return for a three-day trial on December 18.
She appeared in the dock with Dean Shanahan, 47, of Kingsbury, north London. Both pleaded not guilty to one count of importing the Class A drug at Gatwick Airport on December 1 last year.
Prosecutors say the cocaine was found in Shanahan’s case and the pair were together in a joint enterprise.
A gram is cocaine is worth around £50, giving the amount of 6lbs (3kg) seized a street value of about £150,000.
The actress trained at Arts Educational School in Chiswick, West London, and has also appeared in other TV shows.
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