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Potternewton teen cocaine dealer given second chance
A judge admitted he was taking an exceptional decision by sparing a Potternewton teenage cocaine dealer from jail.
Judge Christopher Batty said he had been forced to think long and hard about how to deal with Peter Sunter, who had admitted supplying class A drugs.
But, said the judge, an excellent pre-sentence report had helped convince him that Sunter deserved a second chance.
Judge Batty said: "Your own parents could not have written something so glowing about you. You are an intelligent young man. "That intelligence should count against you because you are bright enough to know what you were doing.
"But you have shown since to be totally committed to what you want to do in the future, and a real capability of continuing with that aim."
Sunter, of Markham Avenue, was jailed for 52 weeks, suspended for two years.
The 18-year-old, who had arrived in court with an overnight bag, was also ordered to complete 250 hours of unpaid community work.
His eyes welled with tears as the judge warned him: "Don't let me down."
Tuesday's hearing was told that Sunter was the junior partner in a cocaine dealing business run by Delvin Walwyn.
Mehran Nassiri, prosecuting, told the court that police officers, posing as customers, had contacted both Sunter and Walwyn several times between January and March this year.
The officers, said Mr Nassiri, arranged a number of drug deals with the pair, one for a quarter ounce of cocaine, costing 130, and another for an ounce, at a price of 440.
Walwyn, of Chapeltown, Leeds, had also pleaded guilty to dealing class A drugs.
The court was told that he has previous convictions for possessing an offensive weapon and also for supplying cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin.
Philip Morris, representing 23-year-old Walwyn, said he had not offended between 2003 and 2008.
He was both physically and mentally prepared for custody, Mr Morris said.
Jailing Walwyn, of Hall Court, for five years, Judge Batty told him had he been convicted after a trial he would have been sent down for seven-and-a-half years.
He added: "This is the second time you have appeared before the court for selling class A drugs and you have moved up in the drugs world.
"Now you are employing others to sell your drugs. There has to be a significant custodial sentence."
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Friday 18 May 2012
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