'Groomed' dealer caught with heroin and crack cocaine in Bilston after stealing car from woman's home
An eighteen-year-old who stole a car in Wolverhampton was later caught with heroin and crack cocaine worth hundreds of pounds.
Drug dealer Keon McKettey-Campbell, now 19, was spotted at the wheel of the missing Ford Fiesta which had been stolen from outside its owner's Wolverhampton home in the early hours of May 9, 2023.
The defendant previously admitted theft of a motor vehicle, dangerous driving, handling stolen goods and possession or drug with intent to supply in relation to the theft and his subsequent arrest in Bilston town centre the following day.
Prosecutor Miss Sabhia Pathan told Wolverhampton Crown Court that the car was spotted on the Birmingham New Road by officers who signalled for the driver to pull over. She said the car was driven into Shaw Road and the driver stopped briefly.
"The officer pulled alongside and saw that the driver was the defendant whom he described as looking like a 'rabbit in headlights' saw that he had been spotted. After about five seconds the Ford Fiesta accelerated away and as it did, it nearly collided with another vehicle and was seen to brake hard to avoid a collision. The officers lost sight of the car and the pursuit was abandoned.
"It was then spotted on the Black Country Route travelling towards Bilston. A number of offenders were seen leaving it and running towards Bilston High Street where the defendant jumped over a fence. He was followed by officers who found him sitting on a wall. He was arrested and searched and 76 wraps were taken from his jacket pocket."
Miss Pathan said 39 heroin wraps and 37 crack cocaine wraps, worth about £10 each, and his mobile phone were seized. She said that a male and a female who were with McKetty-Campbell were released without charge.
She said checks of the phone revealed 66 drug dealing-related texts and references to the 'Spartan' drug line. The court also heard that the defendant had a plaster cast on his hand with the word 'Spartan' written on it.
Miss Pathan told the court that McKetty-Campbell had a previous conviction in Scotland for supplying drugs and carrying a knife in July 2023 and that he completed a Community Payback sentence which included 150 hours of unpaid work for those offences.
In mitigation, Miss Nicole Steer asked the judge Mr Recorder Geoffrey Kelly to take a "merciful" approach in sentencing him. She said the defendant's parents were professionals, but he had been groomed to sell drugs by others who had taken him under their wing.
"He had just turned 18. He is no drug dealing kingpin in any way," Miss Steer said.
"Sadly he became a victim of an axe attack and suffered serious injuries. He was fearful for his safety and before long was set to work. It s no excuse for his actions. His mother says the family were taken by surprise when he was arrested. They were disappointed and horrified," she added.
Recorder Kelly adjourned the matter for further reports and granted McKetty-Campbell, of Pendrill Road in Bushbury in Wolverhampton, conditional bail until April when he will be sentenced.