A judge has demanded to know why an Appleby man continued his involvement with illegal drugs – despite being jailed for a serious supply crime several years earlier.
Niall Dixon, 24, was a teenager in 2016 when he and two other young men were locked up for being part of an 11-month plot to peddle class B substance Mcat.
Dixon was handed a two-and-a-half-year custodial sentence by a judge who heard the offending of all three was financially motivated.
But Dixon was back in hot water in October, 2019, when police found him in possession of three different illicit substances – cocaine, cannabis and ketamine.
When initially brought to court, he admitted possessing cannabis and ketamine but denied a charge alleging the possession of cocaine with intent to supply.
Today, Dixon, of Scattergate Crescent, Appleby, appeared at Carlisle Crown Court and again denied the supply charge but did then admit simple possession of the class A drug.
That plea was deemed acceptable to the prosecution in the wake of an expert’s report commissioned to scrutinise his wrongdoing.
The court heard Dixon was caught in possession of 11.4g cocaine, 3.8g of cannabis and a smaller amount of ketamine.
His barrister, Kim Whittlestone, asked for the preparation of a probation service pre-sentence report before Dixon receives his punishment.
The judge, Recorder Richard Archer, agreed, telling Dixon: “It is necessary for the probation service to investigate why it is you are involved with controlled drugs on the back of that serious conviction you have on that (criminal) record – albeit five years ago.
“If there is an issue here, if there is a deep-seated problem and you need assistance, then they will be able to recommend that to the court.”
Recorder Archer adjourned the case to next month and granted Dixon unconditional bail in the meantime.
But the judge warned him: “All options, up to and including an immediate custodial sentence, will remain open, although clearly the probation service will need to look at what they can do to rehabilitation you, to prevent you from reoffending in the future.”
