Drug dealer jailed again
2:20pm Thursday 22nd May 2008
A 35-year-old man who sold heroin and crack cocaine to an undercover police officer has been locked up for the third time for drug dealing.
John Bell, 35, was jailed in 2001 and 2005 for offences involving heroin in the York area, but in December last year he was caught dealing Class A drugs to a test purchase officer in Bradford.
Prosecutor Richard Davies told the city's crown court today how the undercover officer used a suspect phone number to make contact with a dealer and was then told to go to the Acton Street area.
On the first occasion the officer handed over £20 and received a wrap each of crack cocaine and heroin.
Mr Davies told the court that later the same day the officer went back to the area and was sold two wraps of heroin.
The next day the undercover officer again went to the same house in Acton Street and saw another drug deal taking place before he bought some heroin.
Bell, of Back Girlington Road, Girlington, Bradford, was arrested in March and during a police interview he admitted being involved in drug dealing on the two days.
He said he was dealing to fund his own habit.
Bell pleaded guilty to one offence of supplying crack cocaine and three similar offences of supplying heroin.
Although he could have faced a minimum jail term of seven years under the so-called "three strikes" legislation, his barrister, Sarah Barlow, successfully submitted that the circumstances surrounding his previous convictions meant he should receive a lesser sentence.
After being shown a similar case which had gone to the Court of Appeal, Judge Peter Benson ruled that Bell's sentence should be four and a half years in jail taking account of his guilty pleas and his past offending.
"It is clear that you have had a severe drug habit which has persisted over a good deal of time," the judge told Bell.
"I read in the letter you have written to me that you have got yourself clean in prison and I hope that continues."