Heysham estate drug dealer jailed for nine months

Oluwatobi Omotosho, a 21-year-old Nigerian national, and currently of HMP Feltham, appeared by video link at Burnley Crown Court.

Omotosho - also known as Tobi - admits possessing heroin and crack cocaine on June 6 last year.

Rachael Woods, prosecuting, said at around 1.45pm police officers from a proactive target team were on plain clothes duty in Heysham's Kingsway estate and spotted Omotosho on a phone.

She said: "They began to observe him.

"He disappeared momentarily but reappeared standing in some bushes near a bus stop and was on the phone looking towards a group of people who were known drug users, and it was apparent some kind of drug deal was taking place.

"Police approached him and asked him for his details

"He said he had recently moved to the area."

The court heard two phones were taken from him and later showed messages had been sent to 10 other numbers suggesting he was out and about with drugs available for onward supply,

A strip search was performed and Omotosho was wearing a number of pairs of jogging trousers and some shorts.

Police found wraps containing £300 of heroin and crack cocaine in his groin area and £85 cash.

He made no comment in his interview but later admitted the offences.

The court heard he has a previous conviction from September 2019 for supplying crack and cannabis to an undercover officer.

His defence lawyer said he was in remission from a brain tumour but had recently suffering symptoms which could be linked to it.

He added: "He has every prospect of achieving well on his eventual release."

Judge Sara Dodd said the sentence may seem quite lenient but explained the matters should have been dealt with alongside another set of related offending, for which he is already in prison for, and that she had considered his health issues.

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