A drug dealer who accidentally sold class As to an undercover officer over Snapchat has been given a second chance.
Joshua Parker, 23, of Staveley Road in Keighley, was caught out by the officer twice after selling her £50 worth of cocaine over the social media app.
Bradford Crown Court heard on Monday that the law enforcement operative – going under the name ‘Courtney’ – bought the drugs on two separate occasions. One was October 5 last year, and another was October 11 last year.
Prosecutor Joel Wootten said: “On each one [occasion] it was arranged via Snapchat and Courtney drove to a cul-de-sac and approached by the defendant when he came out of a nearby semi-detached house.
“A number of Snapchat messages showed that he was dealing drugs throughout her interaction with him. The Crown would submit this was clearly street dealing and would say there is a significant role here and an expectation of a significant financial advantage.”
Mitigating, Lily Wildman, told the court a pre-sentence report had been carried out and that Parker, who appeared over a video link from HMP Nottingham, had a four-year-old son at home. She said: “His time spent on remand has been his first experience of a custodial setting.
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“As per the pre-sentence report, the first phases of that, he very much struggled to adapt. Notwithstanding that he has made positive steps since his remand to address what led him to being before the courts and falling for sentence today.”
The court was told that Parker’s mother has secured him a job as a cleaner for when he is released. Ms Wildman said: “He has always worked since a young age but that is something that has stopped while on remand. He has a son and a supportive partner waiting for him when he is released.”
His Honour Judge Gibson made Parker the subject of a two-year sentence suspended for two years. He said: “I think this is the right time for an intervention by the Probation Service. I want to make it clear that if you breach that in any way, you will be serving a substantial period in custody.
“You know what it’s like now and you can very, very easily be serving the bulk of two years plus what you need to serve for the commission of any new offence.”
During the period of the suspended sentence, Parker will have to carry out 40 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 150 hours of unpaid work.
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