Akeem Long

Drug dealer locked up

A MAN who sold crack cocaine to an undercover police officer on five occasions over a period of three weeks has been locked up for two years.

Akeem Long claimed he had been coerced into selling drugs by people he owed money to but after hearing evidence from him Ipswich Crown Court Judge David Goodin dismissed his story as “nonsense”.

Long, 20, of Samuel Court, Ipswich, admitted five offences of supplying crack cocaine in May and June this year and was sentenced to two years’ detention in a young offenders’ institution.

Sentencing him, Judge Goodin said his claim that he had been coerced into selling the drugs had been “exploded” when Long told the court he had been forced to sell the crack cocaine after losing a package containing £500 of drugs he had been given on an earlier occasion.

Robert Sadd, prosecuting, said Long had contact with the undercover police officer in person and by telephone. “On one occasion he showed an element of customer care by apoologising for being late,” said Mr Sadd.

He said transactions between the officer and Long had taken place in the area of Samuel Court in Ipswich town centre.

Ian Persaud for Long said his client had only sold drugs to the undercover police officer on five occasions during a police operation that had lasted over a period of time. “Officers were out and about on other days and my client wasn’t found to be dealing on those occasions,” said Mr Persaud.

He said his client claimed he had been forced to sell the cocaine after losing a package containing drugs that had been given to him by people he knew.

“He had to repay the debt and could only do that by doing as he was told and selling drugs for them,” said Mr Persaud.

Also before the court in a separate hearing was Mohammed Aden, 18, of London, who admitted eight offences of supplying class A drugs to undercover police officers in Maidenhall Approach, Ipswich in July and August.

Unlike Long he had no previous convictions and was given a 12 month sentence of detention in a young offenders’ institution suspended for two years and ordered to do 180 hours’ unapid work in the community.