POLICE armed with a warrant arrived at the home of a Great Sankey man just in time to witness a drugs transaction taking place.
Officers executed the warrant and Ian Parsonage was present in his home with items including 77 wraps of heroin each worth £10 were recovered.
They also found £170 cash and a mobile phone and when it was analysed calls consistent with drugs supply were found, said Iain Criddle, prosecuting.
Parsonage aged 49, was arrested and when interviewed he made admissions and said he had been dealing drugs to get money to buy and pay off his debt and said he had been selling drugs for two or three months.
Parsonage, of Finsbury Close, Great Sankey, pleaded guilty to possessing heroin with intent to supply on June 13 this year.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that he has 19 previous convictions for 77 offences including drugs matters.
Myles Wilson, defending, said the defendant had mental health issues. He was a long-time drug user, having started at university. He worked as a fork truck lift driver and did nit like the culture around drugs and would stay off them for periods of time but would be pestered by people who knew him.
Mr Wilson added that Parsonage had sought help from Narcotics Anonymous and was motivated to change.
Judge Denis Watson, KC told the defendant, “You of all people will know the problems that heroin addiction causes and you were playing your part in supplying heroin.”
He said that the Crown classified him as a street dealer rather than a commercial dealer.
He sentenced him to two years imprisonment suspended for two years and ordered him to carry out 25 days rehabilitation activities and imposed a nine month mental health treatment requirement.
Judge Watson said he was giving him a chance and hoped his future went well.
