Carlisle pair jailed for cannabis supply plot

A pair of would-be drug dealers have each been jailed for two years after they were caught trying to bring cannabis with a street value of almost £30,000 into Carlisle.

Jason O’Neil, a 25-year-old from Brookside, Raffles, and David Park, 27, of Burgh Road, were snared as part of a plot to collect cannabis sent from Liverpool.

They had both admitted conspiracy to supply the class B drug at an earlier hearing.

The court heard they were waiting near Crummock Street hoping to meet up with two women who were acting as couriers in April last year.

However, police had intercepted the women when they arrived at Carlisle rail station, when they were found carrying almost 3kg of cannabis, worth £29,800.

They were travelling from the station by taxi and when police quizzed the driver, they found the women had given the destination as Crummock Street.

Amanda Johnson, prosecuting, said that when officers arrived they spotted O’Neil and Park, as well as two other men, waiting in a car in a neighbouring street.

She added: “Park became suspicious and ran off down an alleyway.

“He was pursued and arrested. During the chase he dropped a plastic bag which contained £6,500 in cash.”

Police found that there was significant mobile phone activity between the two defendants and numbers linked to the Liverpool area, and CCTV footage from the previous month showed the same two women arriving at Penrith Station.

Miss Johnson said that mobile phone masts had also pinpointed Park and O’Neil within the Liverpool area.

Kim Whittlestone, for O’Neil, said that her client had played a “significant role rather than a leading role” in the operation and those higher up in the supply chain stood to benefit more from the sale of the drugs.

She added: “He isn’t someone who has been living a lavish lifestyle. The money raised is passed back up the chain later.”

Greg Hoare, for Park, also said that his client had a significant role, rather than a leading role within the operation and added that he had suffered a serious head injury since his arrest.

He said: “He suffered a significant injury through no fault of his own. He was attacked in a bar in Greece – he was hit over the head with a bar stool. Mr Hoare said that Park had been sectioned under the Mental Health Act, adding: “It has been a life-changing experience.”

He said Park was concerned about going to prison because any further head injury could be “quite catastrophic”.

http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/carlisle-pair-jailed-for-cannabis-supply-plot-1.1170785 29/10/2014