Drug dealer avoids jail

A FELIXSTOWE man who sold drugs through a website has avoided jail today.

Judge John Holt said David Waterhouse-Taylor would do 180 hours unpaid work instead because of his previous good character and guilty pleas.

Ipswich Crown Court heard that Waterhouse-Taylor, of High Road West, had pleaded guilty to five counts of supplying anabolic steroids valued at around £1500 between July and October last year.

However due to legal technicalities Judge Holt was unable to sentence the 44-year-old for possessing more than 12,000 of the class c tablets contained on sheets of card.

Simon Spence prosecuting said the illegal drugs were used for bodybuilding and to enhance sports performance.

He said the crimes came to light when Waterhouse-Taylor contacted another website director to help him overcome some problems he was having with his computer.

Police were called and the Felixstowe father was arrested and his computer was seized.

Mr Spence said: "He told the police he funded the website in question on behalf of a friend in Thailand. He admitted passing some steroids onto a few friends."

When the computer was examined by experts it emerged that most of Waterhouse Taylor's customers were from America.

Ian James mitigating handed the judge three testimonials and urged him to consider his client's character and young family when passing sentence.

Judge Hold said: "You have pleaded guilty to five counts of being concerned in the supply of controlled drugs of class C. You helped sell £1500 worth on the internet and it is those five offences I am restrained to sentence you for."

He said the community punishment was designed to "punish and inconvenience" the defendant.

Waterhouse-Taylor was ordered to pay £1,000 towards court costs and the drugs and computer were to be forfeited and destroyed.

A special haring was to take place at the court on August 13 to assess the value of Waterhouse-Taylor's assets under the Proceeds of Crime Act.