Teenage drug dealer who came from London to Corby to get away from gang culture tried to cuckoo vulnerable man

Shai Cole came to Corby from London (Images: National World / Leon Neal for Getty)Shai Cole came to Corby from London (Images: National World / Leon Neal for Getty)
Shai Cole came to Corby from London (Images: National World / Leon Neal for Getty)
A teenager who tried to bully his way into dealing drugs from a home in Corby has avoided a jail term after a judge heard he had now begun to sort out his life.

Northampton Crown Court heard how Shai Cole arrived at the house in Oakley Road and asked the vulnerable occupant if he ‘wanted to work for him’.

Cole, from West London, had just turned 18 at the time of the offence in May 2022.

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Prosecuting, barrister Ami Jones told the court that the occupant of the house, who we are not naming, had refused to work for him.

"He said he’d stay overnight and told him to go to the shops,” said Ms Jones.

The victim approached a police officer to tell him that there was man in his house with a knife.

Police went to the house and arrested Cole, who was found to have a zombie knife and £331 in cash as well as seven grammes of cocaine and 1.83 grammes of heroin.

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Mitigating, Anna Renou, said that Cole, now aged 20, had himself been a victim of coercion and had been stabbed as a younger boy. He had come to Corby to get away from the gang lifestyle in London.

"He’s moved away from that lifestyle now,” she said.

"He’s much closer to his family and his stepfather is in court today.”

The court heard that he was now working and had a flat of his own in London. We are not providing Cole’s address to protect him from further coercion.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to supply drugs and one of acquiring criminal property.

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His Honour Judge Rupert Mayo said: “I suspect you were on the doorstep of entering gang culture and you came to Corby.

“Why would you come to Corby? Because you were involved in drug dealing.

"I am not going to take your liberty away today.”

He imposed a 13 month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, to reflect Cole’s young age at the time of the offending, his departure from that lifestyle and the face he has no previous convicitons. He will also have to complete 20 rehabilitation requirement days and 80 hours of unpaid work.

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