Promising student 'thought he could make a bit of money' selling drugs at Leeds Festival
A promising student who was caught selling ecstasy pills at Leeds Festival “thought he could make a little bit of money”, a court heard.
James Mulkern had gone with pals to the Bramham Park event with August 2022, but their suspicious activities led site security to detain them.
Mulkern, was 18 at the time, was taken to the police station to be stripsearched, but produced a package from his boxer shorts at the last moment. It contained 43 MDMA pills which were blue and bore a Ferrari logo.
Now 22, he appeared at Leeds Crown Court this week where he admitted dealing in Class A drugs, but on a basis that it was for “social supply”, to friends and acquaintances.
Mulkern, of Stainburn Drive, Moor Allerton, has no previous convictions.
A probation report into Mulkern found that he had gone to the music event with friends and they “realised they could make a little bit of money when they were there”.
Mitigating, Mark Foley said Mulkern had gone to university just after his arrest to study political science but had dropped out.
He said he was now working in Greggs but was due to start a course in business management.
Mr Foley said of the the dealing offence: “It was the first festival he had ever attended. He is not a regular drug user and saw it as a bit of an adventure.
“He was naive and immature at the time. He bitterly regrets it and is remorseful.”
Judge Tahir Khan KC told Mulkern: “I’m satisfied it was social supply and your involvement was through naivety.”
He gave him a 16-month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months, and ordered he carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.