Not quite the same value of drugs as the Glasgow driver, and doesn't look like he was dealing for long. But he's got 28 months
And this rambles on a tad...
Taxi driver had a 'complete nightmare' and was arrested with hands between his legshttps://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/li ... d-34057898The dad made a 'big mistake' and was caught with thousands of pounds of cocaine in his Mercedeshttps://i2-prod.liverpoolecho.co.uk/art ... s-edit.jpgA taxi driver was caught holding thousands of pounds of cocaine between his legs when he was arrested in Liverpool city centre. Warren Childs was said to have set up his own drug dealing operation after being forced to shell out more than £4,000 to make his Mercedes roadworthy.
Having amassed debts totalling in the region of £30,000 following his discharge in the merchant navy, the dad-of-three made a "big mistake" as he sought a way out of his financial woes. Left in what was labelled a "complete nightmare", a judge told him as he was locked up yesterday: "You have led a useful and productive life. It is sad for me to have to sentence someone like you, but what you have done is really serious."
Liverpool Crown Court heard on Wednesday that a male was seen by police entering Childs' car on May 14 last year before being handed items by the 45-year-old defendant in return for cash. This led to the vehicle being stopped on Renshaw Street, at which stage the driver was seen "with his hands between his legs".
Samuel Barker, prosecuting, described how Childs, of Yew Tree Lane in West Derby, was asked by officers to reveal what he was holding, at which stage he produced a quantity of cash from one hand and wraps of white powder from the other. Further drugs were subsequently discovered during a search of the car.
More cocaine was also recovered from his home, alongside a single snap bag of cannabis. In total, police seized class A drugs with an 81 per cent purity and a street value of between £864 and £2,160, as well as £1,270 in cash.
Childs' iPhone meanwhile revealed messages which indicated that he had been involved in the supply of cocaine for around a month prior to his arrest. He has no previous convictions.
Julian Nutter, defending, told the court: "He was in the merchant navy for 23 years. He spent the last 14 years of his naval career working in the North Sea. He had been discharged, finally, from sea on the 21st of April 2021.
"When he came home from sea, his mother died and he was working as a taxi driver. He managed to get himself what he thought was a good deal and acquired a Mercedes vehicle. It turned out that the vehicle was not in as good a condition as it appeared to be. It cost him £4,500 to get it through its taxi licence.
"In the end, he fell into debt. He was working all hours the lord sends. HM Revenue and Customs are still pursuing him for over £8,000 of debt which arises from that period. He was exhausted. He has three school-aged children. He could not make enough money legitimately. Of course, it is no excuse that what he did was went onto the streets, dealing drugs as a street dealer.
"The whole thing has been a complete nightmare for him. He is, as you can see, to all outward respects not somebody who is drug dependant or anything of the sort. He has been a decent, hardworking merchant seaman all of his life and he has made a big mistake
"These are relatively old matters. He has been out of trouble since then. He works in his cousin's business, which is cladding and glazing. He is earning reasonable money and he has turned his life around completely.
"He has shown remorse. He acknowledges what a fool he has been. He has come here today expecting the worse, knowing what happens to class A drug dealers. In my respectful submission, there is just room to take an exceptional course, particularly bearing in mind the age of these matters and the turnaround since."
Childs admitted possession of cocaine with intent to supply and possession of cannabis. Appearing suited in the dock, he was jailed for 28 months.
Sentencing, Anil Murray said: "You have led a useful and productive life. It is sad for me to have to sentence someone like you, but what you have done is really serious.
"There was a lot of stock here, worth up to £2,000 or thereabouts. When your phone was analysed, it was consistent with you dealing cocaine over a period of about a month. Yours was a significant role. You decided to start a drug dealing business in order to make money, because you were in financial difficulties.
"You are of good character. You were in the merchant navy, discharged in 2021. Your mother died. You have worked as a taxi driver. You bought a car that needed repairs. Because of that expense and other things, you built up a debt of £30,000.
"This was not a moment's aberration. You were not drug dependant. You made a deliberate choice to deal class A drugs to help your own financial situation. This was not the largest operation. It was your business. You had the equity in the cash and the drugs.
"You are not a risk to the public. There is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation. You have strong personal mitigation. It may be that an immediate custodial sentence would result in a harmful impact on your children.
"However, the flip side of that is, clearly, this is a case where appropriate punishment can only be achieved by immediate imprisonment. Class A drugs cause misery in our society. You decided to start off your own class A drug dealing business so that you would be financially better off. I cannot suspend this sentence."
Login
Register
FAQ
