Burnley cannabis and ampthetamine dealer jailed

Burnley Crown Court heard how Storm McGowan (25) who had a receipt for £1,000 part-payment of a holiday at his home as well as thousands of pounds, claimed he was selling cannabis and amphetamine because he had a drugs debt. But a judge said there was no evidence of that as he had no convictions for possessing drugs and told him: “It’s obvious that you were doing this for financial gain. There is no evidence whatsoever to suggest you were doing it because of a drugs debt.”

The hearing was told McGowan, who struck over nine months, was first caught last June, but wasn’t charged.

Undeterred, he carried on his trade. He was then arrested, charged and bailed after his home was raided last December and still carried on peddling drugs until he was remanded in custody in March.

The defendant admitted possessing amphetamine and cannabis with intent to supply, possessing a prohibited weapon - a CS gas canister - and possessing criminal property, all on March 6th.

He also pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis and amphetamine with intent to supply last December and possessing cannabis with intent to supply in June last year.

McGowan, of Melville Street, Burnley, now faces a proceeds of crime hearing.

Prosecutor Miss Susan Carter told the court that last December police searched the defendant’s home. He was tampering with an iPhone which the officers removed from him.

Officers found 102 wraps of amphetamine in the freezer, two large bags of cannabis, tick lists and between £4,000 and £5,000.

Miss Carter said the cannabis found weighed 82.27 grams and was worth £822.70. Thirty one ounces of amphetamine were discovered and the total value on the streets was £8,370.90.

An experienced drugs officer looked at “voluminous” texts on the defendant’s phone and looked at a sample of dealing-related messages from 48 different customers between November 21st and the time of his arrest.

The prosecutor said in June last year, a significant amount of cannabis and also amphetamine was found at a man’s Burnley home. The defendant’s fingerprints were found on three packages of cannabis, which would normally be divided into street deals.

The hearing was told the defendant had previous convictions for burglary and breaching orders and had served time.

Sentencing, Judge Beverley Lunt told McGowan that being arrested and bailed last December didn’t deter him and he only stopped dealing because he was remanded in custody in March. She told the hearing: “There is no evidence to validate that he was under any coercion because of a drugs debt.”