Sheffield street dealer’s phone yielded buyers’ addresses

A Sheffield drug dealer's mobile phone contained buyers' addresses and messages arranging drop-offs, a court heard.
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Officers saw Abdi Warsama getting out of a Ford Fiesta that smelled strongly of cannabis, on London Road, on September 13, 2019, prosecutor Louise Gallagher.

Three wraps of the drug were found under the driver's seat. Text messages contained references to "halves" and "twenties" as well as requests for drugs to be dropped off:

"Are you able to drop off in town?"

Abdi WarsamaAbdi Warsama
Abdi Warsama

"Hi. Do you still deal in Sheffield?"

"Come on man you said 20 minutes an hour ago."

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Managers at his accommodation on Langdon Street called police on March 6, and officers found 25 1oz bags of cannabis, with estimated value of £3,120 to £5,280.

On March 18, he was one of three men seen fleeing from a a shopping area on Harcourt Road.

Police chased him and he doubled back, bending near a wrought iron gate, where officers subsequently found an estimated £1,000 in cash.

Warsama had £435 on him and another search of the Langdon Street address uncovered scales with drug residue and £265 in cash.

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Ms Gallagher said his previous convictions dated back to when he was 15, with five convictions for possession and two for possession with intent to supply.

Sean Sullivan, mitigating, said Warsama sold drugs to fund his own habit and service debts he had incurred.

After serving a nine month sentence he tried to get back on the straight and narrow but the programme he wanted wasn't available, he added.

Warsama, 25, of Atherton Road, Sheffield, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cannabis, possession of cannabis with intent, and use of criminal property, when he appeared at Sheffield Crown Court, on Friday.

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Judge Graham Reeds QC described him as a "serious street dealer" who was "making significant money" and rejected the suggestion he was funding his own habit.

He sentenced Warsama to 27 months in prison, and made an order for the destruction with the