Former drug addict jailed after being caught dealing for a THIRD time
A former addict caught dealing Class A drugs for the third time was starting a five year eight month jail sentence today.
Robert Pearce suddenly changed direction in his Ford Focus after spotting a police patrol car while driving through Sedgley.
The move aroused the suspicion of the officers but the 49-year-old ignored their request for him to stop and accelerated away, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.
Pursuing police then saw him throw a package out of a window of the vehicle shortly before forcing him to halt, said Mr Alex Warren prosecuting. When recovered it was found to contain £600 worth of cocaine parcelled up into 15 £40 street deals.
Pearce had two mobile phones, one of which rang 'constantly' while he was being quizzed at the scene. Later checks on it disclosed text messages linking him to drug deals with ten customers over the previous two days, continued Mr Warren.
The defendant had eight previous convictions involving 23 separate offences. These included the supply of heroin for which he received a 42 month prison sentence in 1997 and possession of heroin with intent to supply in 2000 while on licence following early release from the previous jail term. He was then locked up for a further four years.
Mr Christopher O'Gorman, defending, pointed out that Pearce had not committed any offence since 2008 before his latest arrest for drug dealing which took place after the police chase on December 5 2014.
The defendant from Limehouse, Hailes Park Close, Parkfields admitted possession of cocaine with intent to supply and was locked up by Judge James Burbidge QC who told him:
"You were out plying the trade of a drug dealer when you saw a police patrol, immediately took fright and threw a quantity of drugs out of the window.
"One of your phones that rang constantly while police were dealing with you and this was later found to contain further evidence of your drug dealing.
"You know how seriously courts view this kind of offending. You have two previous convictions for similar offences but the two significant periods of custody that these brought have not discouraged you from doing it again.
"You were dealing for profit because you are not addicted to drugs although I understand you have been in the past."
