Telford man, 23, pressurised into drugs offence over threat to father, court told
A Telford man who said he was pressurised into transporting drugs to avoid his father being harmed has been spared jail.
Izar Ahmed was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by police as it was travelling on the A442 towards Telford on April 22 last year, Shrewsbury Crown Court heard.
Mr John Brotherton, prosecuting, said Ahmed was found with 26g of heroin – which had a street value of between £650 and £1,200. Two Nokia phones were also seized, as well as £550 in cash.
The 23-year-old, of Strine Close in Wellington, was handed a two-year prison sentence suspended for two years when he appeared at court yesterday after he pleaded guilty to possession of a Class A drug with intent to supply.
The court heard that Ahmed told police he had been given a package to deliver to pay off part of a debt and said there would have been consequences if he had not done as he was told.
Mr Brotherton said based on the contents of the text messages on the phones, it was clear Ahmed owed money.
The prosecutor also said at the time of the offence that Ahmed was on licence for another drugs conviction.
Mr Sahil Alexander Narayan Sinha, defending Ahmed, said his client had been given instructions to deliver the package to Hadley, and although he suspected it contained drugs, he didn't know what exactly was inside and who he was meeting to give it to.
He also said Ahmed, 23, was only delivering the package under coercion.
"He had a lesser role in this incident, with no other involvement other than it being under direction, which was engaged under pressure due to a threat to his father," he said.
Mr Sinha insisted Ahmed was taking steps to "escape the drug world" but had been dragged back into it through this pressure.
He said his client had not used drugs since 2012 and had never used Class A drugs
Mr Sinha said Ahmed's debt was now clear and he lived a more stable lifestyle, holding down full-time employment at a restaurant.
Sentencing, Recorder Martin Jackson said despite Ahmed reoffending while on licence, he accepted he had now made positive steps forward.
He said: "Some people may criticise me but this is a one and only offer and a chance for you to sort your life out, your reoffending and drug use."
As well as the sentence, Ahmed was ordered to carry out 250 hours of unpaid work, a 40 day rehabilitation activity and carrying out the thinking skills programme.
