Two Corby drug dealers who turned their lives around avoid jail after case takes three-and-a-half YEARS to come to court

A pair of teen dealers who were caught after just a week selling drugs were spared a prison sentence after a judge was told they had both transformed their lives since they were caught.

Bradley George McKee, of Constable Road, Corby and Alexander Moore of Gainsborough Road, Corby appeared before Northampton Crown Court on Friday (October 13) to be sentenced on Class-A and B drugs charges.

But the court heard that since the original arrest back in February 2020, both men have settled into full time jobs and have turned their lives around.

Her Honour Judge Adrienne Lucking KC was told that a member of the public made a report to Northamptonshire Police on February 6, 2020, that a suspicious car had been seen driving around Corby. Plain-clothed police spotted the car in Sower Leys Road and followed it to Hudson Close where they found McKee and Moore inside along with drugs and cash.

Both teens had their homes searched and phones seized and drug paraphernalia was found in Moore’s bedroom.

The court heard that phone analysis showed the pair had been dealing for only 11 days. In total the drugs seized were worth up to £4,010.

Moore, now 22, admitted four charges involving possession with intent to supply cocaine and cannabis between January 27 and February 6, 2020.

McKee, now 23, pleaded guilty to two charges of possession of cocaine and possession with intent to supply cannabis.

Judge Lucking questioned prosecutors on why the case had taken so long to come to court.

She was told that the case had been deprioritised because it was not one where violence was involved. She heard it took 14 months for lab results to arrive and for the phones to be downloaded because of Covid delays. It then took a further eight months to appoint an expert drugs witness and that there was an error with communication which caused a further delay. It then took seven months for a file builder to prepare the case

Neither men had any relevant previous convictions.

Mitigating for McKee, Will Forber-Heyward said that his client had started his own eBay and Amazon business.

"It’s something he’s really got his teeth into and he’s very knowledgeable about,” he said.

"He’s someone who’s taking this business opportunity very seriously.”

The court also heard McKee was a carer for his mum.

"He’s had this hanging over him for three-and-a-half years,” added Mr Forber-Heyward.

“He accepts he was naive and immature. He’s a different person. He’s turned himself around.”

For Moore, Jonathan Coode said that his client had brought 12 ‘glowing’ references before the court and had got himself a full-time job with a nationally-known company and was regarded as an ‘exemplary employee’ by both his colleagues and his superiors.

Mr Coode added: “He started using cannabis at the age of 12 and cocaine at 16.

"He’s now moved on. He has child and a stable partner. He takes his parental responsibilities very seriously.”

The court heard that both men’s offending crossed the custody threshold.

Judge Lucking said: “You were two young men aged 18 and 19 who saw the opportunity to make some money in a very immature and irresponsible way.

"There is clear remorse in both cases. You have both demonstrated a determination to change.”

Moore was given a 20 month prison sentence suspended for two years. He was also ordered to undertake 150 hours of unpaid work and will be on a three-month overnight curfew. He will also have to pay prosecution costs.

McKee was given a 24-month community order to include 10 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 150 hours of unpaid work.

Both defendants were warned that if they appeared before the court again they faced going to jail.