County lines man caught dealing in Shrewsbury locked up for three years

Judah Thompson, 26 and from Wolverhampton, was found guilty following a trial at the town's Crown Court this week.

In unanimous verdicts the jury found him guilty of possession with intent to supply cocaine and heroin on March 29, 2017.

He was arrested along with a man called Gino Robinson on the River Severn footpath at about midday after the pair arrived in the town by train.

The police officers pounced after observing them making an exchange with another male.

When the defendant was searched he had nine wraps of cocaine and six wraps of heroin in his clothing which the officers seized, along with a lock knife and two mobile telephones.

Thompson, a warehouseman, claimed that at the time of his arrest he was taking drugs, and hoped to buy it in bulk and cheaper in Shrewsbury than in Wolverhampton where he lives. However, the jury did not believe his story.

Under direction

In his mitigation, Miss Rebecca Wade said: "The defendant acknowledges that convictions for possession of Class A drugs receive sentences of immediate custody. He is realistic as to the outcome.

"I do seek that he is given the shortest sentence possible as he had a lesser role. The prosecution asserted that he had a long ongoing link to the supply of drugs. From the text messages found on his phone, he was under direction.

"It was plain from the text messages that this is a man who was not making significant money from this enterprise. He had relatively modest amounts of drugs worth about £240.

"This case has been hanging over the defendant's head for more than two years.

"In those two years he has changed significantly. He was a user of Class A and he has now rid himself of that and he has a job."

The court also heard that he has limited previous convictions from 2016 for possession of cannabis and driving offences. And for train fare dodging in October 2017.

'Justice system too slow'

Sentencing him immediately after the verdicts were announced, Judge Anthony Lowe told him: "It is right that you have been waiting for a considerable period of time for this trial to take place although Miss Wade conceded that some of the delay was down to you pleading not guilty.

"Nevertheless the criminal justice system should be able to get people to court quicker and not leave people with cases hanging over their heads for such a long time."

For the drugs supply offences Thompson, of Bromford Dale in Albert Road, was jailed for three years and three months.

For possession of a knife offence, which he admitted previously, he was jailed for four months to run concurrently.

The judge also ordered the confiscation of the cash and the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs, the knife and the phones.

He also thanked the jury.