Teenage drug dealer Harry Monaghan spared jail after becoming a father
A teenage drug pusher who decided to confront police instead of walking away from a town centre brawl was found with 17 snap bags of cocaine in his pocket.
A judge in Preston heard Harry Monaghan had already left the scene after officers broke up a scuffle between two groups of youths in the early hours.
Yet, inexplicably, he returned to harangue the police and ended up being searched and arrested.
The 18-year-old pleaded guilty to possessing drugs worth £340 with intent to supply. He was also discovered to have £420 in cash and a mobile phone containing drug dealing messages.
Monaghan was spared jail after Judge Sara Dodd heard he had just turned 17 at the time of his arrest and had stayed out of trouble in nearly two years since.
She gave him a 12 month prison sentence suspended for a year saying: “To send you into custody would be counter-productive.”
The city’s Crown Court was told two police officers on duty in Colne town centre at just after 1am on August 28, 2022 when they came upon an altercation involving two groups of young men.
As they approached the men dispersed. But minutes later Monaghan returned to shout abuse at the officers and accuse them of bullying. He refused to listen when they ordered him to leave and told them to “f*** off.”
Monaghan was warned about his behaviour and then raised his hand, giving the officers the impression he was about to strike them. They felt they had no option but to arrest him for being drunk and disorderly.
A search of his pockets discovered the drugs, cash and phone. When the mobile was examined it was found to contain a series of drug dealing texts.
He was charged with possessing drugs with intent to supply and made no comment in interview.
The court was told Monaghan had no previous convictions and the prosecution accepted his was “a lesser role” in the supply of cocaine in the town. There was “no suggestion he was higher up the chain.”
Defence barrister Olivia English told Judge Dodd: “I hope you can be persuaded to impose a sentence that wouldn’t deprive him of his liberty. He was previously a man of good character.
“He has just become a father of an 11-month-old baby girl. He had just turned 17 at the time (of the offence). He has had time to think about his actions and what the consequences could be.”
Judge Dodd told Monaghan: “Quite why it was you came off the rails as you clearly did two years ago is not clear to me.
“No doubt you thought you were very grown up doing criminal things. You were not. You were putting very dangerous drugs onto the streets of your town.
“This offending is now almost two years ago and you haven’t offended since. You have done some very serious growing up since then.”
She gave him a 12-month prison sentence but added: “I am satisfied that in all the circumstances it can be suspended.”
Judge Dodd also ordered him to do 141 hours of unpaid work and warned him that if he didn’t complete it when required he could face prison.