A West Cumbrian man has been jailed for two cocaine supply crimes — more than four years after his offences came to light.
A prosecutor told Carlisle Crown Court this morning that he had received no satisfactory answers having questioned why it had taken so long for 40-year-old Duncan Kelly’s case to be resolved.
Police had initially called at Kelly’s home on October 6 2019, in connection with an unrelated matter which was not pursued.
“A search was conducted and there found, inside a Jiffy bag, was a significant quantity of cocaine,” said Tim Evans, prosecuting. This had a purity of 49 per cent and weighed in at 130g which, a police drug expert concluded, could potentially be worth up to £6,000 if sold to street users.
A mobile phone was analysed and contained dozens of chats related to cocaine supply by Kelly over many months. Also located was a debtors’ list which indicated that hundreds of pounds was owed for one-ounce and quarter-ounce deals — relatively bulky supply, stated Mr Evans.
Kelly, of Beck Green, Egremont, initially denied involvement in cocaine dealing. But when brought to court earlier this year, he admitted possessing cocaine with intent to supply, and being concerned in supplying the class A controlled drug between March and October of 2019.
Confirming he had received no satisfactory answers from police about the delay, Mr Evans told the court: “Plainly a case which commenced in 2019 should not be being sentenced in 2023.”
Mitigating, defence lawyer Sean Harkin said Kelly had been selling to other drug users to fund his own use. “That delay, from the defendant’s point of view, has been purposeful,” said Mr Harkin. “He has taken steps to address issues with drugs and alcohol addiction and is in full-time employment.”
Judge Michael Fanning described the delay as inexplicable but jailed Kelly for three years, concluding that he had clearly operated for profit.
“People who engage in this sort of dealing in class A drugs, spreading misery and creating crime, deserve to go to prison,” said Judge Fanning.
