A young Warrington man arrested in a County Lines drugs operation has been sternly warned by a judge he has had his “last chance.”
Kevonne Williams, aged 19 was given a suspended prison sentence by a judge in January and also ordered to carry out 200 hours unpaid work and 15 days rehabilitation activities.
He was back in the dock at Liverpool Crown Court today (Thur) having only attended his probation induction appointment.
Zahara Baqri, prosecuting, said that Williams had failed to attend two probation office appointments in February although attended yesterday and did seven hours of the 200 unpaid hours.
Williams, of Normanby Close, Bewsey & Whitecross, who was not legally represented, admitted breaching the order.
Miss Baqri said that the defendant has obtained new employment working for his aunt in a food shop and this was his first breach of the order.
Judge Stuart Driver, KC, told him, “It is the first time. It is the last time as well.
“If I had been the judge when you were last up I would probably have sent you down. The judge gave you 21 months suspended for two years.
“You were that close to going away and you have done nothing. You deserve to go to prison now. I am giving you a last chance and if you don’t take this your feet won’t touch the ground,” he warned Williams.
At the earlier sentencing hearing Williams appeared along with another man, Mason Howard, in whose car he had been arrested by suspicious police.
Officers correctly thought the Peugeot being driven by Howard was connected to ‘a Junior Line’ county line dealing and they stopped it on Whittle Avenue, Great Sankey, heading towards Warrington.
They found Kevonne Williams was the front seat passenger and when the vehicle was searched officers found 47 wraps of heroin, 20 wraps of crack cocaine and a graft phone each, said Martyn Walsh, prosecuting.
They were not only travelling to Warrington to sell the drugs on August 2, 2022 but had done so on previous occasions from June 25 that year.
Howard, 25, of Hastings Close, Heavily, Stockport, was jailed for 31 months. They had both pleaded guilty to possessing heroin and cocaine with intent to supply and being concerned in supplying cocaine, heroin and cannabis.
Anna Pope, defending at that sentencing hearing said that Williams had been a victim of modern slavery. “He was 17, vulnerable and exploited. He was told what to do.”
Since the offences he has started to turn his life around with the help of his social worker and Salvation Army. He has enrolled in college and is now in employment as a customer services officer with BT though suspended pending the court case.
“He wants to help other teenagers to avoid the trap he fell into. He is going to speak to the probation service about that,” she said.
