Middlesbrough drug dealer dangled off bridge across the A66

Jake Marron was spotted by officers speeding around on his electric scooter before carrying out a suspected drug deal in a park.

The 22-year-old knocked one of the officers out of the way on his bike before discarding his mobile phone as he edged his way along the ledge, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Albany Kidd, prosecuting, said: “The other officers were blocking his path, so he climbed over the bridge railing and was dangling over a 50mph stretch of the A66.

“He edged along the ledge and was heard to make a call from his mobile phone saying - ‘I have been caught’.”

Miss Kidd said Marron managed to get down from the bridge before throwing his mobile phone into the grass verge before he was caught and arrested.

She said a search of him revealed that he had crack cocaine and cocaine on his person as well as a substantial amount of cash when he was arrested on August 30 this year.

Jake Marron (Image: Cleveland Police)

Marron, of Acklam Road, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to possession of crack cocaine with intent to supply, possession of cocaine with intent to supply, possession of criminal property, and assaulting an emergency worker.

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Robert Mochrie, mitigating, said Marron had no previous convictions and had only turned to drug dealing to repay a £1,000 debt after he took out a loan to cover his rent when he was between jobs.

He added: “A contract came to an end and he was due to start another job but there was a bridging period where he needed money to pay rent – this is not a case where we so often see somebody selling to fund their own habit.”

Judge Richard Bennett sentenced the defendant to a total of two years and three months after he was caught selling the drugs in a Middlesbrough park.

He added: “You were seen openly being involved in what was described as a drugs transaction and then left the park in as much as a hurry as when you arrived in the park.”