Hapless dealer offered cannabis to plain clothes officers in Stockton pub  

A HAPLESS pot dealer walked into the arms of the law by offering drugs to two plain clothes police officers in a Teesside pub.

Two detectives on plain clothes patrol headed to the Reindeer in Stockton after overhearing a conversation about drug dealing.

They saw nothing unusual and were about to leave the pub when Richard Cook spoke to them.

Cook, 49, asked them if they were looking for ‘Calvo', an apparent dealer, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Rupert Doswell said the officers played along and followed Cook to a corridor behind the pub toilets, where he offered them a bag of cannabis.

The officers revealed themselves and arrested him on the afternoon of November 12 last year.

Cook had 63g of cannabis bush and resin in 22 bags, 7.6g of amphetamine in 10 bags, and £115 cash.

Cook's home on Bramley Parade, Stockton, was searched, revealing 16 more bags of cannabis and several "dealer's lists".

He had a total of £564 worth of cannabis and £76 worth of amphetamine. Text messages on his phone suggested drug dealing over a two-month period.

He told police he was a user, not usually a dealer, but took to selling after he lost benefit money.

He pleaded guilty to offering to supply cannabis and possessing cannabis and amphetamine with intent to supply - his first drugs convictions.

Police asked for a review of the Reindeer pub's alcohol licence following the arrest.

The licence was revoked in February but an appeal was upheld at Teesside Magistrates' Court in July after the court heard there had been no further problems at the premises since the initial decision.

Peter Wishlade, defending, said unemployed Cook had taken cannabis for 10 years to alleviate back pain, he was naïve and let acquaintances have drugs "on tick".

The judge, Recorder Richard Woolfall, said Cook was caught red-handed after the detectives used their initiative.

He said Cook was getting by, not living a lavish lifestyle by his "little escapade", and he was confident Cook wouldn't repeat his foolish criminal behaviour.

Cook was given a 10-month jail term suspended for a year with supervision and a two-month tagged curfew.

http://www.gazettelive.co.uk 07/08/2012