A NAÏVE drug seller, who enjoyed the notoriety and status his illicit trade brought him in a small dales town community, is starting a 28-month prison sentence.

Jack Tallentire sold a variety of class A, B and C drugs to order, in and around Barnard Castle, but Durham Crown Court heard that there was an element of “mickey-taking” by some customers.

Some of the drugs that were requested, including the psychedelic substance lsd, popular in the 1960s, he was unable to sell, having sourced them following specific requests.

The court was told Tallentire’s activities were brought to a halt after he was approached and stopped by police as he left an address in Barnard Castle, carrying a rucksack, on October 15 last year, the day after his 26th birthday.

Shada Mellor, prosecuting, said on being told he was to be searched, he made off from police, who pursued him and retrieved his back-pack.

A search of the bag revealed a selection of drugs, including quantities of cocaine, ecstasy, lsd, ketamine and the class C substance etizolam, plus some dealing “paraphernalia”.

Tallentire handed himself in to police the following day and, in a search of his home, a quantity of cannabis was recovered from a bedroom wardrobe.

Miss Mellor said the defendant made full admissions in interview with police, when he admitted ownership of the drugs recovered, some intending to sell, and some for personal use.

He said he had been selling drugs for about a year, initially cocaine, moving on to other substances at the request of friends, making about £100 profit per week.

Tallentire told police he was working alone and gave police the values of the various drugs found, based on what they would fetch on sale.

Miss Mellor said based on those values, the overall amount recovered by police, would amount to £3,025.

The defendant, of Green Lane, Barnard Castle, admitted six counts of possessing drugs with intent to supply, three in class A, two at B and one at C.

Michele Turner, mitigating, said her client, who has no previous convictions, acted, “out of a certain amount of naivety”.

She told the court: “He was never going to be a millionaire from these offences.

“He lives in a rural area, with limited social activity and no big market place.

“To a degree he was a bit of a laughing stock around the area.

“Some of the drugs he was asked to source are obscure and not fashionable and he was unable to sell them.

“There was, to come extent, a degree of mickey-taking.

“He did feel important when people contacted him, but, not always for the right reasons.”

Miss Turner added he would use the money made to fund his hobby of buying car parts.

Recorder Simon Kealey QC said despite what was said there was still a financial advantage to his activities.

He imposed a 28-month prison sentence and ordered forfeiture and destruction of the recovered drugs and paraphernalia.

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