A teenage drug dealer with ambitious hopes of setting up a cocaine supply line in Warrington instead found himself before a crown court judge.
Ruari Byrne was only 16 when his illegal activities came to light after the car he was a passenger in was involved in a crash.
Members of the public saw three males emerge from the vehicle and start throwing nitrous oxide canisters into nearby woodland on Cromwell Avenue, Warrington.
Liverpool Crown Court heard today (Mon) how police arrived at the scene and went over to search the car because of a smell of drugs and Byrne was seen to be agitated.
Bernice Campbell, prosecuting, told how the teenager tried to walk away and kicked a police constable to the legs and pushed him. The officer suffered bruising to his hand and knee but detained Byrne.
He was searched and found to have two mobile phones, one of which was ringing from someone asking for drugs.
Byrne, of Heath Street, Stockton Heath, Warrington, was found to have £507 cash on him and when his home was searched 13 grams of mixed ketamine and amphetamine, worth up to £720 on the street, was found.
His mobile phones were forensically analysed and messages about drug transactions were found, mainly for nitrous oxide but others were asking for ketamine and cocaine.
In a message he sent he said he was ‘building up a line around Warrington’ and spoke of running it together with the message recipient, said Miss Campbell.
When interviewed he denied selling drugs and said the cash belonged to his dad.
Byrne, now 18, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to being concerned in supplying ecstasy and cocaine between February 21 and March 10 2023; offering to supply nitrous oxide, possessing ketamine and amphetamine with intent to supply and assaulting an emergency worker.
Judge Stuart Driver, KC, told the defendant he did not accept his claim that the message about running a cocaine line was him “merely bigging himself up.
“I find you hoped you could set up a cocaine line but it is important to know you had not yet done so, it was an aspiration.”
He said that the case was aggravated by the range of drugs he sold and “the fact you were ambitious.”
But he accepted he was only 16 and a half when he was arrested on March 10, 2023 and had not committed other offences before or after and there had been a long delay in the proceedings. He has also used his time well since his arrest by attending college and working.
The judge sentenced him to 18 months imprisonment suspended for 12 months and ordered him to carry out 15 days rehabilitation activities.
“You have done well in life recently and the court hopes you can carry on making good progress,” he told him.
