Nelson cocaine dealer has jail sentence appeal turned down

But while 33-year-old Waseem Afzal’s appeals against conviction and sentence were refused, two Manchester men who were jailed for their parts in a plot to deal huge quantities of cocaine, had their sentences slashed.

All three were among a gang jailed at Preston Crown Court in January.

Giving judgment, Mr Justice Jay said the conspiracy centred on Blackpool and ran from June 2011 to January 2012 when at least five kilos of cocaine, up to 87% pure, were supplied.

Afzal, of Camden Street, Nelson, appealed against his conviction on the basis that the prosecution case was so weak the trial should have been stopped. He complained that the only evidence against him seemed to be contact between him and others involved in the drugs plot.

But Mr Justice Jay said there was a case for Afzal to answer and the evidence went considerably further than guilt by association. He said all relevant factors had been taken into account in deciding on Afzal’s eight-year sentence and his appeals were refused.