Drug dealer jailed for five years

A JAMAICAN drug dealer who set up business in Ipswich is starting a five-year prison sentence today.

Livingston Moodie was jailed for possessing heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply.

He was given five years for each charge to run concurrently at King's Lynn Crown Court on Friday .

Judge Peter Jacobs also made an order recommending deportation after the sentence is served.

A jury found the 25-year-old guilty at Norwich Crown Court on August 8 and he was remanded in custody until his sentencing at King's Lynn yesterday.

Following the verdict the judge highlighted the growing trend of young men from London targeting other towns and cities to set up supply lines for the drugs they sell.

Moodie, of Lordship Road, Hackney, arrived in England in June last year. He married British citizen Monica Springer in London four months later.

In court Moodie claimed his wife supported him from her £16,000 a year job.

However the jury heard she also had four children to support with her salary.

Moodie was arrested at a flat in London Road, Ipswich, where he claimed to be visiting a female friend on November 5 last year.

The court was told that when police swooped he made a run for it while handcuffed, trying to dump crack cocaine worth around £1,000 as he fled.

Moodie, who denied the drugs charges, claimed he attempted to escape because he feared a Jamaican police style beating.

Jonathan Seely, prosecuting, told the court that Moodie had managed to struggle free from police and, while making his escape bid, he was seen to slow down and put one hand down the back of his jeans.

After he was caught police found a package of crack cocaine, with a street value of between £540 and £840 and heroin, valued of between £400 and £700, where he had slowed down.

Moodie claimed he had not tried to remove anything from his jeans when he was running away.

He said: " I could not move my hands. They were handcuffed behind me."

Police also found he was carrying £690 in cash which he claimed he had because his door key had broken that morning and as he had not got a bank account he feared being burgled.