Oldham teen avoid jail for dealing heroin

Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard the 18-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was spotted in a vehicle by officers in plain clothes and a man approached to collect a package.

Police did not approach on that occasion but spotted the car on Furness Avenue and Abbey Hills Road in Oldham two days later at around 10am and approached.

Prosecutor Saul Brody revealed what was found inside.

He said they had found four drugs.

He said: “The cocaine was 2.05 grams worth £82, the crack cocaine was 6.27 grams worth £641, the diamorphine single block 0.904 grams worth £96, the 14 wraps of diamorphine were 5.845 grams worth £584, the cannabis was 11.917 grams worth £112.87.”

He added they had found six mobile phones and one was ringing non-stop as the vehicle was searched.

The teenager, who was 17 at the time of the offence, appeared in court to be sentenced for four counts of dealing drugs which took place in September 2019.

Upon hearing the facts of the case, judge Mark Savill said: “He’s thrown away his life, hasn’t he?”

The defence counsel of the teen, Brian Williams said he had but there was a chance it could be rehabilitated.

He asked for a custodial sentence to be avoided.

He said: “It wasn’t his operation.

“There were no messages on his phone.

“There were no significant findings at his house.”

Judge Savill said that as the was 17-year-old at the time he had to treat the matter as if he was sentencing him at the age he was when the crime took place.

After rising from the bench multiple times to consider that legal point and the facts of the case he eventually opted to impose a community order.

The court heard that if the teen had committed the offences as an adult he could have faced a four year period in prison.

But the judge imposed a year long community order lasting 18 months requiring the teen to attend at 10 rehabilitation requirement days and complete 300 hours of unpaid work.