Teenage drug dealer locked up after heroin and cocaine bags found covered in fingerprints
A teenager has been jailed for three years after police found bags of class A drugs covered in his fingerprints when they raided a house.
David Callaway, aged 19, was seen running away from the house as police conducted a raid on the property.
During the search, in August last year, police found 96 bags of heroin and 142 bags of cocaine wrapped in a towel in the bathroom.
Both class A drugs, the heroin was believed to have a street value of £960, with the cocaine valued at £1,420.
Callaway admitted two charges of possessing a class A drug with intent to supply, relating to the heroin and the cocaine.
Prosecuting, Miss Samantha Powis told Shrewsbury Crown Court that the packages bore the defendant's fingerprints.
Another man, who was seen fleeing from the house in Oswestry with Callaway, and the tenant, were both questioned at the time of the raid, but the charges against them were dropped.
Mr Reginald Mills, for Callaway, said: "This young man's circumstances are depressing and perhaps depressingly familiar.
"He was not an academic young man, he is still only 19.
"Performing poorly he left school with only basic maths and English.
"He ended up with the wrong social group at school, who introduced him to cannabis and his use became gradually more regular until he developed a habit," said Mr Mills.
Callaway said that on leaving school he did find work in a butcher's shop and a garage where he gained some qualifications as a mechanic – something he intends to return to on his release
Mr Mills said: "He developed a drug habit, but he didn't have the means to maintain his own use and found himself driven into street dealing just to be able to support his own habit.
"It is a shame that someone so young has been driven into the cycle of custody, but he is determined to break his drug habit and break his cycle of offending."
Mr Mills said Callaway was being supported by his family. He also has two young children and was keen to mend his ways for their benefit.
Sentencing, Judge Peter Barrie said: "It is sad to see how the use of drugs has wrecked your life.
"You are 19 years old, but you have been before the court 13 times relating to 22 offences, 12 of which are drugs related."
He ordered Callaway, of Goschen Street, Everton, Liverpool, to serve three years in a young offenders institution.
He also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs which were seized.
