A young drug dealer was caught out after a distressed woman alerted police to her friend being sold drugs by a group of men in Warrington town centre.
She told the officers that this was happening further up Barbauld Street, Warrington, and when they got there the group started to disperse.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that a woman and one of the group, Owen Hennessy, aged 22, could be seen behind a van. They were told to stay where they were so they could be searched but Hennessy ran off.
Officers gave chase and Hennessy was caught and taken to the ground, said Bernice Campbell, prosecuting.
He tried to throw away a small snap bag, another containing smaller bags and a drawstring bag. An iPhone was found on him and when his home was searched police found another Iphone,a Blackberry phone and £270 cash.
A forensic examination revealed 12 bags of ketamine, 20 of cocaine and 16 ecstasy tablets. The drugs had a total potential street value of up to £1,640 and officers also recovered £270 cash and a drug dealer’s tick list.
“When initially interviewed he denied knowledge of the contents of the bag and involvement in supplying. He denied knowing the pin numbers of the telephones. He also later denied knowledge of the tick list.”
Hennessy, of Lindsworth Close, Great Sankey, pleaded guilty to possessing the three drugs with intent to supply and possessing five extreme pornographic images, which were found on his phone. The offences occurred on May 21, 2022.
The court heard that he pleaded guilty on the basis the drugs were for social supply. He said that the images had been sent “as a joke” in a group WhatsApp chat, which was accepted by the prosecution.
Sentencing the 22-year-old, Judge Gary Woodall said that Hennessy had provided an account to the probation service which was inconsistent with his plea because he continued to deny knowledge of the drugs.
“This was you continuing to bury your head in the sand rather than own up to what you had done.”
He said that a reference from his employer made it plain he was an integral part of the party and the event was described as clearly out of character. “There is a clear progression path for you within the business when you qualify.”
Judge Woodhall said that Hennessy has had a partner for two years and now given up using cannabis, cocaine and ketamine and he is regarded as a low risk of re-offending. He lives with his parents and his father had addressed him about his son, he said.
The judge said he was faced with a stark choice between sending him to jail, with a starting point of four and a half years, which would punish and be a deterrent, and not doing so.
He said because of the delay in bringing the case to court and the defendant’s personal circumstances he would take an exceptional course and impose a suspended sentence. Hennessey’s parents sitting in the public gallery wiped away tears of relief.
Hennessy was sentenced to two years imprisonment suspended for two years and ordered him to carry out 200 hours unpaid work and 15 rehabilitation activity days.
“This is a deliberately lenient sentence to maximise your chances to reform and rehabilitate,” Judge Woodhall told him.
