Cash, crack and a Kinder egg: Teenage dealer walks free from court
A teenager who was caught with 21 wraps of heroin and crack cocaine and more than £2,600 in cash has been given one 'last chance'.
The Smethwick youngster, who cannot be named due to his age, has escaped being put behind bars despite already being on bail for possessing drugs when he was caught dealing
A judge at Warwick Crown Court gave the 16-year-old a youth rehabilitation order for two years, with an intensive supervision and surveillance package, a 9pm-7am curfew for three months and an activity requirement for 91 days.
The cash has been confiscated.
The teenager pleaded guilty to two charges of possessing drugs, two of possessing them with intent, and possessing criminal property.
Prosecutor Patrick Sullivan said that in May last year police officers recovered two wraps of heroin and seven of crack cocaine on the youth, and he was arrested, but subsequently given court bail.
Then in November, officers found him at a address in Nuneaton trying to tuck a Kinder egg down his trousers with 18 £10 wraps of heroin inside.
He was arrested, and the officers also found a total of £2,630 in cash on him and another Kinder egg, this time with three large wraps of crack cocaine worth a total of £630.
Mr Sullivan added that despite his age, the 16-year-old already had convictions for offences including possessing a bladed article, theft from the person and robbery.
Charles Crinion, defending, said: “His record of compliance with orders in the past has not been good, but the agencies say they believe this is the right time for a change in his life.
“He is someone Your Honour could consider as vulnerable. He says he had a debt from cannabis, and when he didn’t pay it back, the dealer doubled the debt, and he was then told to sell drugs to pay it off.”
Sentencing the boy, Recorder Stephen Linehan QC ordered the £2,630 to be forfeited under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
He told the 16-year-old: “You have committed offence after offence after offence.
"It has been argued that because of your age, and because of difficulties in your life, I should not send you to custody today.
"I have decided I can just avoid doing that. But it is your very last chance. You must make a choice. ‘Do I want to spend my life in prison or do I want to make something of myself?’”
