A dealer who had fallen into his bad habits within months of being released from prison is back behind bars after he was caught with a combination of Class A drugs.
When Steven Ford was arrested in Middlesbrough police recovered cocaine, heroin, crack cocaine, weighing scales and a mobile phone, Teesside Crown Court heard.
And a judge told the defendant that he was locking him up again for peddling Class A drugs on the streets.
Nigel Soppitt, prosecuting, said the 25-year-old was carrying 5.8 grammes of cocaine worth several hundred pounds when he was searched.
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He was also in possession of £70 worth of heroin and a further £30 of crack cocaine as well as £250 in cash.
Ford, of Lothian Road, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin with intent to supply following his arrest on August 24 this year.
The court heard how he was jailed for three years and three months for drug dealing in July 2021.
Kelleigh Lodge, mitigating, said her client had fallen into his old ways when he was faced with an old drug debt which resurfaced after his release from custody.
She added: “He was released from his last prison sentence and he was doing well and then there was a relapse in his life. He had a previous drug debt and was trying to pay it off.”
Judge Chris Smith jailed the repeat offender for more than three years for his latest offending.
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He said: “This is a really sad case because in July 2021 you were sentence to a reasonably lengthy custodial sentence for dealing in controlled drugs like cocaine.
“That offence occurred when you were subject of a court order, so that’s one of the reasons why the prison sentence was the length it was.
“When you were released, you should have been keeping yourself out of trouble but again in August this year you were out dealing again with controlled drugs cocaine, heroin, and crack cocaine.
“You had the good sense to plead guilty at the first opportunity so your sentence will be 40 months.”
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