Sheffield Crown Court has heard how many young men and teenagers are becoming involved in drug-dealing involving either class A, B and C drugs including heroin, cocaine, cannabis and other illicit substances.
Judges often make it clear during sentencing hearings that drug dealing leads to many other forms of crime with those becoming dependent on illicit substances resorting to shoplifting, burglary and even robbery to fund their addictions.
Drug addicts often also build up such big debts that they are forced to start dealing drugs on behalf of their suppliers to pay off large sums of owed money.
Cases at Sheffield Crown Court have also revealed the very young age at which offenders are not only being drawn into drug use but are also becoming involved in drug dealing.
1. Ahmed Farah
Young drug dealer Ahmed Farah was coerced into acting as a runner for a Sheffield gang and later went on to have a ‘significant’ role in the criminal enterprise, according to Sheffield Crown Court. Farah, pictured, was just 17-years-old when he was caught with 54 packages of crack cocaine and 24 packages of heroin as well as £772.83 in cash, the court was told. Stephen Grattage, prosecuting, said a police officer made the discovery when he stopped Farah, aged 20 at the time of sentencing, on Washington Road, in Sharrow, Sheffield. Farah, of of Wensley Court, at Page Hall, Sheffield, pleaded guilty to supplying a class A drug, being concerned in the supply of class A drugs, assaulting an emergency worker, and possessing class A drugs with intent to supply. Recorder Mark Giuliani sentenced Farah to three years in a Young Offender Institution. Photo: SYP
2. Travis O'Grady
Pictured is Travis O'Grady, aged 21, currently serving at YOI Moorland, Doncaster, who was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court to 20 months of custody after he pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of heroin, possessing crack-cocaine with intent to supply, possessing cannabis, possessing cocaine, and possessing criminal property in the form of £4.030 after a police raid at a property on Oxford Street, at Upperthorpe, Sheffield. Photo: SYP
3. Daniel Senior
Pictured is Daniel Senior, aged 30 at the time of sentencing in April, of Houstead Road, at Handsworth, Sheffield, who was sentenced to four years of custody at Sheffield Crown Court after he admitted producing class B drug cannabis, possessing class A drug cocaine with intent to supply, possessing class A drug ecstasy, and possessing class C drug alprazolam after a police raid at his home. Photo: SYP
4. Daniel Strutt
Pictured is Daniel Strutt, aged 24 at the time of sentencing, of South Street, Highfields, Doncaster, who was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court, to 27 months of custody after he pleaded guilty to possessing class A drug cocaine with intent to supply and to possessing class B drug cannabis with intent to supply following a police raid at his home. Photo: SYP