Wolverhampton teenager 'exploited' to sell crack cocaine

Wolverhampton man Jacob Jacobs, aged 21, was stopped by a routine police patrol on October 17, 2013, which had seen a suspected drug transaction taking place in West Park, Wolverhampton.

He was found to be in possession of 13 wraps of crack cocaine containing 1.03g, while a further 110mgs were also discovered on him. Rupert Jones, prosecuting, said the defendant, who was 19 and homeless at the time, told police he had been exploited by a group of dealers.

Mr Jones added: "Prior to the offence he became involved with a group through naivety. He was 19, homeless and exploited by them as a result of which he was offered shelter and food in return for supplying the drugs."

Prior to the offence, he had been given £70 by his mother to keep watch on her house, but while some of the money went towards the upkeep, the remainder was used as drugs money.

Nazneen Sultan, mitigating, said Jacobs, who pleaded guilty to possessing a class A drug, was trying to turn his life around and had moved in with his girlfriend.

She added Jacobs, who lives in Merridale Street West, Wolverhampton, described his girlfriend as a 'positive influence', while he had also completed pre-employment training, gaining five GCSEs, with a view to finding work, which had resulted in him being offered a position in telesales.

She said: "Given that he has taken positive steps to move forward in life and has had an offer of work, which will enable him to move forward, I would ask that prison be suspended."

Recorder Anthony Lowe said he had to balance the expectation that those who deal in drugs, especially in the class A category, should be given a prison sentence with the positive steps Jacobs had taken to turn his life around.

He gave Jacobs a two-year suspended sentence and ordered him to complete 240 hours of unpaid work.