26-year-old drug dealer sentenced to 28 months in prison

A 26-year-old drugs dealer who was released on police bail after he was caught with 30 grams of cocaine last December, was caught dealing in cocaine 10 days later after he fled from a the scene of a road traffic accident, Derry Crown Court was told.

The defendant, Emmett Doherty from Cashelmore Park, who has another cocaine case pending, pleaded guilty to supplying, possessing with intent to supply and offering to supply cocaine. He also admitted a further charge of possessing a quantity of ketamine.

Doherty, who was jailed for 28 months by Judge Neil Rafferty K.C., admitted dealing in cocaine to fund his addiction which involved a daily intake of cocaine for two years.

His defence barrister Stephen Mooney told Judge Rafferty that "this is a jail case every day of the week and the defendant knows that. It was an amateurish short lived enterprise".

Judge Rafferty said on December 26 of last year Doherty was a passenger in a car stopped by the police on the upper deck of Craigavon Bridge for an insurance check.

He appeared nervous and his pupils were dilated. He was searched and a deal bag containing white powder was found in his trouser pocket. He was arrested and when in the rear of a police vehicle he was seen pulling out a larger bag containing a quantity of white powder.

"When the defendant was in the custody suite it was witnessed that a wrap of white powder fell from his left trouser leg. This was seized. The defendant then reached into his waistband and produced further bags of suspected cocaine.

"When the defendant was strip searched two further wraps of suspected cocaine together with a larger bag of white powder were found.

"The white powder was tested and in total there was thirty grams of cocaine with a value of approximately £3,000", Judge Rafferty said.

Judge Rafferty said Doherty was "duly bailed" but on January 9, two weeks later, he was seen running from a car which had been involved in an accident in the Creggan area of the city. The police found him hiding in a nearby house and in the rear of the car they found a mobile 'phone. It was triaged and found to contain multiple drugs related text messages some of which referred to meeting others with a view to exchanging drugs and others which referred to the price of various drugs.

Jailing Doherty for 28 months, Judge Rafferty said he took into consideration his guilty pleas and the fact that he had no opulent lifestyle "nor Ferrari sitting outside his home as a result of his involvement in drugs".

He said he accepted Doherty's dealing was short lived and that Doherty himself was a cocaine addict.

"I want to make it absolutely clear to not only Mr. Doherty but also to those who deal in drugs in this city that it is my assessment having come to this city last January that there is a significant drugs problem among members of the public here. That problem is made worse by those who deal drugs", he said.

"The dealing of drugs is the supplying of misery to those who are addicted, to the users and to their families who watch loved ones become addicted to drugs. Those who deal in drugs can and must expect significant custodial sentences when brought to court", he added.