‘Foolish in the absolute extreme’: Man given suspended sentence after caught dealing drugs at Northampton hotel

A man has been given a suspended prison sentence following his arrest as a teenager for his lesser role in a county lines drug dealing operation at a Northampton hotel.

James McNeil, aged 20, of Bideford Square in Corby, appeared at Northampton Crown Court on Wednesday, November 30 after pleading guilty to two counts of possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply it to others and one count of possessing a knife in a public place.

The court heard that police attended the Plough Hotel in Northampton, following reports of a teenager suspected to be dealing drugs in the area.

Sinjin Bulbring, prosecuting, said McNeil - who was 17 at the time - then walked out of the front door of the hotel and he was detained by officers. They found a small kitchen knife on him, a phone, a hotel room key and two packages containing three wraps of heroin and four wraps of cocaine with a street value of £70.

The court heard that police then used the room key to conduct a search of McNeil’s hotel room, where they found 43 wraps of cocaine and 37 wraps of heroin along with £40 in cash, cling film and two further phones. The drugs are believed to have a street value of £900.

Mr Bulbring said the phones contained messages referring to McNeil as somebody’s “boy” and linking him to a county lines drug dealing operation.

This alluded to McNeil being a “runner” - a young person used by a drug dealing group to deliver their drugs by either paying them or by forcing them through violence and grooming - and suggested he played a lesser role in the operation.

The court heard that McNeil gave a no comment interview to police.

Liam Muir, in mitigation, said: “He is a young man who has never been in trouble prior to this and he has not been in trouble since. He was controlled and manipulated due to drug debt.”

The defence barrister added that the defendant has since returned home to his family and he has finally started to build a productive life.

Mr Muir added: “He is very close to starting work and that is the first step to the future he wants.”

The court heard that McNeil spent the last three years expecting to be sent to prison due to the delay in his case being heard in court.

His Honour Judge David Herbert KC said: “He has been foolish in the absolute extreme.”

McNeil was given an 18 month prison sentence suspended for 21 months. He was also ordered to attend 25 rehabilitation requirement days and an electronically monitored curfew was imposed for three months.

Judge Herbert, addressing McNeil, said: “We are approaching the Christmas period now when a lot of young people will be wanting to go out. Your going out will be severely limited.

“Because of the delay, I have given you a chance so please grab it with both hands.”