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Wolverhampton drug dealer jailed after returning to crime on day of release from prison

A serial criminal, who resumed drug dealing the day he was freed from jail after serving a sentence for a carbon copy offence, was back behind bars for more than six years today.

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Benjamin Carter

Benjamin Carter even returned to the same area of the South Coast to sell heroin, cocaine and cannabis, a judge heard.

The 30-year-old, who had no legitimate income, was able to pay more than £18,000 in cash to buy a white BMW from a Nottingham car dealer less than four months after being freed, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

Carter also had a near £8,000 Cartier watch, £500 Gucci bag and wore clothes from Harrods, revealed Mr Charles Crinion, prosecuting.

The defendant regularly drove from his home in Wolverhampton to Hastings, Bexhill, St Leonards and Eastbourne on a Wednesday, returning on either Saturday or Sunday.

He was freed from prison on licence on May 5 last year and immediately took up his drug dealing where he had left it when detained on February 4 2014 with around £20,000 worth of drugs in the boot of the car in which he was travelling in Hurst Green, East Sussex, continued Mr Crinion.

He was arrested again on October 12 last year when police followed his BMW southbound along the M42 and boxed it in after the car stopped at Cherwell Services near Bicester.

Officers found £240 worth of cannabis in the vehicle together with several mobile phones on which a message disclosed that the defendant had been robbed of £70,000 worth of drugs by somebody who was later ‘hurt’ in retaliation, the court heard.

Details of calls and messages on the phones disclosed he had been in contact with scores of known drug offenders and users on the South Coast.

The prosecutor concluded: “This was commercial drug dealing. He directed runners and obtained a substantial amount of money from it.

“The offending was substantially aggravated by the fact he was on licence after being released from prison following his conviction for exactly the same offence in the same area.

“He resumed his activities on the day of his release and messages on his phone indicate he was playing a significant part less than three weeks later.”

Miss Sharonjit Bahia, defending, conceded: “I cannot disagree with the statement that his was a principal role.”

Carter, from St Marks Road, Chapel Ash had also been jailed in the past for possession of two handguns and ammunition, it was said.

He pleaded guilty to supplying heroin, cocaine and cannabis between May 5 and October 12 last year and possession of criminal property between September 16 and October 12.

He was jailed for a total of six years eight months.

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