DJ caught with £5,000 worth of ketamine sold the drug to fund spiralling addiction

A DJ in the grip of drug addiction was caught with £5,000 worth of ketamine in Wakefield.
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Police stopped Carl Stuart Flannigan's black Seat Leon on Plumpton Road in Wakefield on October 10, 2020 because the car's MOT had expired, prosecutor Ian Cook told Leeds Crown Court this week.

But the 31-year-old aroused suspicion because he was "on edge" and kept saying he needed to leave. They searched the vehicle and found £390 in cash in the centre console, and large quantities of powder under the seat.

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In total, police recovered 256 grammes of ketamine, a Class B drug in which users can experience levels of euphoria. The total street value of the drug found was £5,130.

Flannigan was caught on Plumpton Road in Wakefield.Flannigan was caught on Plumpton Road in Wakefield.
Flannigan was caught on Plumpton Road in Wakefield.

He was also found with a small amount of cannabis skunk.

Flannigan, of Churchfield Lane, Castleford, gave a no-comment interview after being taken to the police station.

He later pleaded guilty to supplying ketamine and possession of cannabis during a hearing at Leeds Magistrates' Court.

He has previous convictions for drink driving and driving while banned.

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Flannigan later told probation that his spiralling addiction got him into debt and he agreed to transport the ketamine, but would not say for whom for fear of reprisals.

Mitigating, Kara Frith said Flannigan is a self-employed DJ, but work dried up when lockdown was introduced in 2020.

She said: "In October 2020 he was in the grip of a highly-serious ketamine addiction.

"He hid it from his family, he could not pay for it and could not work because of Covid. His debts increased as did his need for ketamine.

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"He ended up supplying the drug, but is adamant it was to pay for his debt.

"It's clear there was a serious problem, and that was his motivation."

She said that he has since been to rehab, and despite relapsing, is continuing to make progress.

Judge Andrew Stubbs QC questioned why drug dealers would trust Flannigan with huge quantities if his addictions was that ingrained, but gave him the benefit of the doubt.

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He handed him a 16-month jail term, but suspended it for 24 months, because of Flannigan's efforts to stay off drugs. He also gave him 120 hours of unpaid work.

He told him: "You had a role of some scale in the supply of drugs. It seems you are significantly blameworthy.

"But you have taken steps to rid yourself of your addiction, and if you can break that cycle I have every confidence you won't back to court again.

"If I'm wrong, you will come back to court and you will start the sentence I have suspended."