Two men who hid Class A drugs worth in excess of £1,800 in their anuses have been jailed and another given a curfew as they were sentenced in court.
Jonathan Adim (22), Matthew Osei-Tutu (18) and Jamal Henry (18) appeared at Peterborough Crown Court today (Thursday, August 2), having already pleaded guilty to six drug charges between them.
The trio held onto the drugs inside their bodies for several days after being arrested, before passing them in police custody.
Adim, formerly of Marsh Drive, London, had admitted two counts of supplying Class A drugs and two counts of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.
Osei-Tutu, formerly of Wolsey Close, London, had been charged with one count of possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply, while Henry, of Evans Road, Catford, London, had admitted two counts of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.
Craig McDougall, prosecuting, told the court the trio were arrested as part a police drugs crackdown dubbed Operation Sprint.
Adim fell foul of two test purchases by an undercover officer on March 8 and March 9.
He would ultimately lead police to raid a property in Wharf Road, Woodston, on March 15, where Osei-Tutu and Henry were found in possession of £300 and £740 respectively and arrested.
On March 17, at the police station, Osei-Tutu passed 30 wraps of heroin valued at £10 each.
On March 19, Henry passed 48 wraps of Class A drugs with a total value of £1,230.
Adim was arrested on March 28 following a raid on a property in Hungarton Court, in Dogsthorpe.
On March 30, he passed 30 wraps of Class A drugs, each with a value of about £10.
Representing Adim, Charles Kellett described his client’s role as “a foot soldier, rather than a lieutenant” and “shop assistant, rather than shop manager”.
He said his client, a son of a pastor, had become a “wild young man” after leaving home at 16, ultimately becoming addicted to crack cocaine, which had led to his recruitment in these offences.
He had expressed, however, his relief at being arrested and hoped for a brighter future.
Mr Kellett said: “He has expressed a strong desire to put his life back together again.”
Nenad Spasojevic, representing Osei-Tutu and Henry, said both his clients became involved in the offences through coercion and intimidation.
In Henry’s case, he believed he owed a debt to those who had instructed him to transport the drugs, while Osei-Tutu had “fallen in with a bad crowd”.
He said: “These two young men came to Peterborough under pressure. They were not involved in any actual dealing themselves. They were not involved in taking any money as a result of drug deals.”
He described them as “not even foot soldiers, but mules.”
In Henry’s case, he stressed his young age - 17 at the time of the offence - previously clean record and progress he had made while on bail for the offences.
He added the cash in which they were found to be in possession was given to them minutes before the raid.
In sentencing, Judge Nic Madge said: “Drug dealing blights communities. It may cause anti-social behaviour and even violence which interferes with ordinary hard-working law-abiding citizens.”
Adim was jailed for 45 months, and Osei-Tutu imprisoned for three years.
In light of his age, previous good character and positive progress while on bail, Henry was spared jail and received a youth rehabilitation order of 18 months, with supervision for 18 months, and placed on a six-month curfew for seven days a week from 9pm to 6am.
Judge Madge said: “I’m giving you a chance. Don’t blow it.”
An order was made for the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs and forfeiture of the cash.