A south Essex drug dealer has been jailed for more than five years after he was caught “back in business” two days after walking free on a suspended sentence.
Charlie Wall found himself back before the same judge at Basildon Crown Court, who said: “I took an exceptional course, and ill-advised it turns out that was.”
Wall, 33, of Church Road, Laindon, was last in court for Class A drug dealing in March.
After hearing his hard luck story, Judge Samantha Cohen sentenced him to two years in prison, suspended for two years.
Having been remanded to custody until his sentencing, he was then released.
Two days later, plain clothes officers saw Wall participate in a drug exchange and tried to detain him.
He attempted to flee on an e-scooter but it didn’t work and he was arrested.
He was carrying 30 grams of cocaine.
He told Essex Police that as soon as he was released from prison, he was forced to sell drugs in order to service a debt.
He told Judge Cohen from the dock on Wednesday (September 16) that he owed the drugs gang £7,000.
The court heard Wall had convictions for 20 previous offences, including two for Class A drug dealing.
As a third-striker, his minimum sentence before credit for a guilty plea was seven years.
“Plainly speaking, his problem has been with drugs and alcohol and committing offences in order to feed the habit that he had and also to pay off debts,” said defence barrister Parm Panesar.
“He acts impulsively and without thought sometimes as a result of pressure being placed upon him.
“Of course, he has fallen into the slippery slope that the drug dealers want him to fall into.”
He resumed dealing after his suspended sentence, said the lawyer, because “threats were made towards him and his family.
“Those, as far as he was concerned, were real threats from serious people who would have no hesitation in carrying out those threats.”
Judge Cohen said: “Mr Wall, it doesn’t seem such a long time ago that you and I were facing each other across a courtroom before.
“Within two days of that sentence, you were arrested in possession of 30 grams of cocaine, cash, electronic scales and a ticket of cocaine ready to sell.
“You were essentially back in business, having barely paused for breath.
“I have heard how that came about and it is a sorry story and it is one that the courts are familiar with – and just because we hear it all the time, doesn’t mean it’s not true.
“I am well aware that sophisticated drug dealing gangs will use people like you to do their dirty work.
“However, we all make choices in life and the choice that you made was not to have brought matters to the police when you were being threatened, but instead to try and get out of the debt you owed them by working for them.
“Plainly, that didn’t work. You lost them 30 grams of cocaine by being arrested – I’m sure that’s how they will see it – and you found yourself straight back in prison.”
With a 20% deduction for his early guilty plea, she sentenced him to five years and seven months in prison.
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