Teenage Drug Dealer Sent To Jail

20 May 2011, 14:32 | Updated: 20 May 2011, 14:34

A teenage drug dealer has been sentenced to three and a half years in custody today (Friday May 20th) at Luton Crown Court.

Sheraz Khan, now aged 18 was only 17 when police found him in possession of 30 wraps containing heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine on August 12 last year.

Police officers had stopped in Whitecroft Road, Luton, to deal with an abandoned bicycle, but Khan, who lived in the road, spoke to them about the cycle and they noticed he smelt strongly of cannabis.

The Class A drugs were found on him and during a search of his property.

Rachel Crane, prosecuting said Khan tried to get away when he was arrested but struggled and injured a woman police constable on her wrist.

Khan had admitted possessing the drugs, and also possessing cannabis and a stolen mobile phone and assault with intent to resist arrest.

But he had denied he was intending to supply the Class A drugs, telling a jury he was an addict and they were for his own use.

However he was found guilty of three charges of possession with intent to supply.

Recorder Peter Digney told Khan: "The story about how much drugs you were taking did not make sense.

"Although this is at the lower end of drug dealing, you were definitely a dealer and you were doing it for money."

He sentenced Khan to three years and three months youth custody for the Class A drug offences and a further three months for assault with intent to resist arrest.

Kevin Molloy, defending, said: "The evidence would suggest that this was something which had not developed for very long. He is a young man who could be worked with and pointed away from further offending.

"If he is sentenced to custody he will be in an environment with negative peer group pressure."

The court's public gallery was packed with his family and friends. Mr. Molloy said: "He is a deeply loved son and a popular young man."