Drug dealer in vile Aids taunt has sentence almost halved
A drug dealer who was jailed after he told his girlfriend he hoped her young daughter 'dies of Aids' has had his sentence almost halved by appeal judges.
Omar Bell, 23, of Chervill Rise, Heath Town, Wolverhampton, delivered the sickening taunt after his partner accused him of assaulting her last year.
He admitted witness intimidation and having cannabis with intent to supply and was jailed for a total of 21 months at the city's crown court in May.
But after agreeing that Bell had a 'legitimate expectation' his sentence would be shorter, three judges slashed that to 11 months.
The Court of Appeal heard Bell's girlfriend had reported an alleged assault on her on April 8, last year.
He voluntarily went to the police station and was bailed on the condition that he not contact her.
But shortly after his release, he called her and demanded that she retract the allegation.
In a chilling message, he said: "Just know that when you are off the train back in Wolverhampton, you are dead."
Previously, in October 2013, Bell had been stopped by police for driving in a bus lane and found to be carrying cannabis.
His house was searched and more drugs, dealer bags and electronic scales found.
Bell was given 10 months for the drugs and 11 more to be served consecutively for the intimidation.
His lawyers argued that was wrong because he had been given the impression before he was sentenced that he would not get an immediate prison term for the drugs.
Giving judgment, Judge Taylor, sitting in London today with Mr Justice Cranston and Lady Justice Sharp, agreed - but said that otherwise the sentence would have been justified.
"Notwithstanding the otherwise entirely appropriate nature of the sentence imposed, absent the indication, we make the sentence of 10 months' immediate custody concurrent, rather than consecutive," he said.
The result is to cut the overall sentence from 21 to 11 months.
