A man who turned to dealing Class A drugs said he ‘had no choice’ after he lost his job because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Ashley Powell, 32, was seen driving his Vauxhall Astra in Didsbury when officers became concerned.
After he pulled into the Aldi car park in the village he was detained.
READ MORE:
As the officers explained their reasons for detaining him, he ‘turned about face’ and ran in a 20 second chase with officers.
Manchester Crown Court heard that during the chase he put an item down his trousers, shortly before he was tasered and detained.
Powell, of Chorlton, was taken to hospital where it was later found that he had a number of wraps of both crack cocaine and heroin worth over £1,000.
His defence counsel told the court that he felt he had ‘no choice’ but to turn to dealing drugs due to losing his job at the outbreak of the pandemic.
Powell pleaded guilty to offences of possession with intent to supply class A drugs and was today jailed for 28 months.
Prosecuting, Neil Ronan said that on April 16 last year at around 10pm, police officers were on patrol on Wilmslow Road when they saw a white Vauxhall Astra being driven by Powell and became concerned the driver was selling drugs.
“Before other patrols attended, the defendant pulled into the Aldi in Didsbury village and he parked in the car park, got out of his car and was detained by officers,” Mr Ronan said.
“As they were explaining the reasons for the search an officer attempted to place him in handcuffs, the defendant turned about face and started to run and there was a short chase for about 20 seconds along Wilmslow Road.
“During the chase he was observed putting something down his trousers.
“The first officer felt due to the threat that it was appropriate to discharge their taser.
“Despite this the defendant tried to get away and a struggle ensued.”
He was later placed into handcuffs and taken to hospital where officers noticed something drop from his trousers onto the floor.
Officers described seeing a ‘large snap bag’ containing little snap bags which were later analysed and found to be 33 wraps of crack cocaine weighing 3.93 grams and 29 wraps of diamorphine or heroin weighing 4.07 grams.
The total value of the drugs seized was £1,050.
His phone was also seized and showed messages of dealing both cocaine and heroin.
Powell was said to have nine convictions for nine offences which were said to be for mainly low level violence and antisocial behaviour.
Mitigating, Charlotte Johnson said that in a number of character references provided to the court, her client was described as a ‘hard working man, a dedicated father and partner’.
“His previous employment had to cease at the outbreak of the pandemic and he found himself unable to feed his family,” she said.
“He is not somebody who takes drugs, he had a feeling that he had no choice.
“The defendant knows this type of offending before the courts is frequent and he knows the courts take it seriously.
“The impact of his offending is going to be felt far more by his family.”
She also said he sustained injuries during the arrest that were 'wholly avoidable'.
Sentencing, the Record of Manchester Judge Nicholas Dean QC said: “This sort of offending is treated with utmost seriousness by the courts because of the harm class A drugs can cause to society and individuals.
“You were not, by any means, a large-scale dealer, but street dealing is considered to be a significant role in dealing in class A drugs.
“Your references suggest you are a good man who has worked hard and given to charity. I also recognise the impact of you being sent to prison on your family, particularly your children.
“Your children are of an age where they will really feel the loss of their father - you have let them down and let them down very badly.”
Powell, of Larmuth Avenue, was jailed for 28 months.
See the latest court and crime news in your area by receiving email updates.
