Stephen Swainston, 28, locked up for three-and-a-half years after being caught in operation targeting Class A drug dealers in Stockton
Stephen Swainston
A drug dealer who sold cocaine in the vicinity of two schools is behind bars for three-and-a-half years today.
Stephen Swainston was caught in “Operation Eros” which targeted Class A drug dealers in Stockton.
Prosecutor Rachel Masters said: “The supply of drugs over that period occurred in the vicinity of two schools.”
Swainston was seen dealing rocks of crack cocaine in April to May last year, Teesside Crown Court heard yesterday.
Five other people snared by undercover police in a series of deals were jailed for a total of 13 years last October.
Drops took place at a number of locations in Stockton and Thornaby, including near Oxbridge Lane and St Patrick’s primary schools.
At the time, Swainston was already on bail after he was caught with Class A drugs more than a year earlier.
He and Leah Wilson, both 28, were in a Vauxhall Astra when they were stopped by police in the Mandale Triangle area of Stockton.
Passenger Wilson had 2.6g of crack cocaine secreted about her body and a set of electronic scales in her handbag.
Wilson tried to protect Swainston by hiding the bag of drugs when they realised they were being followed by police.
A wrap of heroin and £350 cash were also found in the car at 3am on March 15, 2012.
Weeks later on April 9, Swainston was found asleep in a car on Suffolk Street, Stockton, with a small amount of heroin.
Texts which related to drug dealing were found on his phone.
Swainston, of Tipton Close, Thornaby, admitted conspiring to supply, supplying and possessing with intent to supply Class A drugs.
Wilson, of Bath Lane, Stockton, admitted possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply.
They had 94 previous offences between them but none for drugs supply. Defence barristers said the two were now free of drug addictions.
Peter Wishlade, for Swainston, said he accepted he dealt drugs to fund his own habit.
He told how Swainston had a reasonable work record, but broke his neck in a motorbike accident and became “catastrophically addicted” to heroin after he was introduced to the drug to relieve the pain.
Swainston showed remorse for his low-level street dealing.
Peter Sabiston, for Wilson, said it had been almost two years since her crimes, during which she lost a child.
She had moved on since, was now “a very different person” and had lost weight over the worry of the court case.
Judge Tony Briggs said prison sentences were inevitable for both defendants.
He jailed Swainston for three-and-a-half years.
He suspended Wilson’s one-year sentence for two years with supervision and 150 hours’ unpaid work, in light of her reform attempts in the two-year case delay.
No comments:
Post a Comment