Chorley duo caught red handed with drugs sentenced

Michael Hesketh, 35 of Buckshaw Hall Close, Chorley, and Lewis Harrison, 22, of Baldmoor Lake Road, Birmingham, both admitted possession with intent to supply cocaine

and heroin after being arrested on February 25 last year.

Hesketh also admitted assaulting his sister and her friend, and breaching a restraining order in a separate incident.

Preston's Sessions House Court was told the men were found in possession of 70 wraps of crack and heroin valued at around £710 and £30 cash.

An i-Phone and ticklists were also found.

David Traynor, prosecuting, said three men were seen leaving a flat by police who then stopped them.

Two of the men ran away but were caught nearby.

The third man remains wanted.

Defending Hesketh, whose flat was used as a base for packaging the drugs, Anna Chestnutt said he committed the offences after finding he was living in a property 'far beyond his means'.

She said he had met Harrison through a mutual friend and it was suggested he could start dealing drugs to address his financial situation.

She pointed out the offending took place over a short lived 16 day period before they were caught and as such, no money was ever earned.

Judge Simon Medland QC said: " There were more than 70 wraps of these poisonous drugs in possession of a third party who has absented himself and has not yet been arrested, but the three of you were jointly involved in it.

"There was photographic evidence indicating a large amount of money. It is obvious from the number of wraps themselves and the price charged for this stuff that a significant amount of money could have been accrued in a short amount of time."

Hesketh received 30 months in prison for the drugs offences and an extra six months of breach of the restraining order and assaults, making a total of three years.

But the judge accepted Harrison had developmental problems, that his role was "subordinate to the other two men" and he had never served a jail term before.

He imposed two years, suspended for two years, with a three month curfew and rehabilitation requirement.

The court ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs, phone and money.

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