Thirty-year Wakefield addict who boasted about having 'good gear' trapped by undercover police sting

Mark Doherty has more than 100 previous offences to his name and has breached "just about every community order" he has been given, Leeds Crown Court heard.

But Judge Robin Mairs said he would give him one final chance after it was heard that the 45-year-old now had stable accommodation, was working with the Wakefield drug counselling service, Turning Point, and was now on a daily methadone prescription.

Judge Mairs told him: "You have blighted and destroyed large parts of your own life because of drugs. You passed on the misery of class A drugs to other people [by selling them] and you have breached just about every community order you have had. Every attempt to help you has failed.

"But I will give you the opportunity. If you go back to drugs, you will go back to offending and that will bring you back in front of me and I will send you to prison. The ball is firmly in your court."

Prosecutor Emily Hassell said Doherty had delivered drugs to an undercover officer involved in an operation to smash dealing in the Belle Vue and Agbrigg areas of Wakefield. Several defendants have come before the courts in recent months having been caught in the sting.

The officer, who had obtained the drugs phone line, made contact on January 11 last year and ordered £20 worth of heroin and crack cocaine. He was told to wait on a field around the Dunbar Street and Buckingham Drive area. A short time later Doherty arrived.

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During the exchange, the officer made a comment about the quality of the drugs and Doherty told him it was "good gear". He was arrested months later from his address on Dunbar Street.

During his police interview he admitted was a heroin and crack cocaine addict and sold the drugs to pay for his own habit. He admitted two counts of supplying class A drugs. Despite having 53 previous convictions arising from 108 offences, most are from "acquisitive" crimes such as thefts.

Mitigating, Holly Clegg said she could "not get around his bad record" but said there was renewed hope he could finally get off drugs.

Judge Mairs jailed him for 24 months, suspended for 24 months, gave him 25 rehabilitation days and a nine-month drug rehabilitation requirement.