• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home News

County lines drug dealer has eight months knocked off jail sentence after writing letter

Lamar Blackstock, 27, was collared by police with a stash of heroin and cocaine in his car, and a lock-knife

SWNS by SWNS
2019-02-11 13:11
in News
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

A ‘pernicious’ county lines drug dealer had eight months knocked off his jail sentence – for writing an apology letter.

Lamar Blackstock, 27, was collared by police with a stash of heroin and cocaine in his car, and a lock-knife.

Musician Blackstock was caught in ‘a car from Croydon’ with £780 in cash and Class A drugs prepared ‘for sale in wraps’, in Strood, Kent, last summer.

Police pulled Blackstock over on June 8 last year as he drove the rental car throughout Kent to move the pre-prepared drugs.

His Honour Judge Phillip Statman said that the case ‘was one of street dealing’ with a clear ‘financial motivation’.

He said: “This is a case of street dealing – you were stopped by police in a hired vehicle that associated itself with Croydon.

“You were stopped in Strood, you come from London, concealed in the central consul of the car were drugs and a knife.

RelatedPosts

Met Office forecasts extreme heat conditions for Glastonbury 2050

Royal spending surpasses £100m as household incomes fall for record fourth quarter in a row

WTF! Bernie Ecclestone says he would ‘take a bullet for Putin’

Piers Corbyn handed fines for breaching Covid-19 rules during anti-lockdown protests

“The drugs within the vehicle are consistent with street dealing packaged into the way of deals, an amount of eight grams.”

Blackstock changed his plea to guilty on January 29, and admitted two counts of possession with intent and one count of having a knife in a public place.

Maidstone Crown Court heard on Friday that the dealer had an addiction to morphine, which ‘left him vulnerable to coercion’.

It was claimed that senior county lines dealers took advantage of this and persuaded Blackstock to sell drugs in Kent.

The court heard that Blackstock has a history of gang-related charges, including a 2009 conviction for possession with intent to supply.

He was caught with a knife twice, including once when he was just 14-year-old – and he was arrested in relation to kidnapping and drugs in 2017.

Defending, Arlette Piercy said that Blackstock had ‘stumbled spectacularly’ after a spell of what she termed ‘good behaviour’.

She said: “He has come today with quiet resignation.

“He listened to advice and has taken positive steps since then.

“There was an element of anger and resentment – over a factor of undetermined DNA on the drugs.

“He has found it hard to accept his culpability. He was struggling to come to terms with his own drug problems.

“My client’s luck has run out in relation to his previous suspended sentences, in which he has cooperated.”

Blackstock appeared in the dock in a full grey sports tracksuit and nodded his head as the judge heard his mitigation.

Ms Piercy said that the ‘prevalence of county lines in the press’ should not affect the way Blackstock was sentenced.

She said: “The fact that it is county lines reflects the way drug dealing has developed – it is not a defining feature.

“You do not have to come here often to see how much of a problem there is with county lines dealing.”

The court heard how Blackstock attended rehabilitation classes, focused on ‘his music’ and wrote a letter of apology to the judge.

Judge Statman gave the dealer ten minutes with his family before his ‘inevitable custodial sentence’.

He said: “Drug supply is prevalent and raises issues that on county lines.

“This can be an emotive expression for understandable reasons.

“In regards to the background, I respect that you have a history of addiction, you are vulnerable, you are from a working family.

“The pressure is put on from those above you in the train to pay them back, no doubt a bit is left on the side to feed your addiction.

“Passing away from your individual circumstances, you know just how pernicious this drug dealing is – it draws in people like you.

“You are a man of some intelligence and you quite clearly have some gifts, particular your music ability, they go to your credit.

“You have sought persistence with your addiction, namely morphine, but these offences well and truly pass the custody threshold.”

The judge told the court that the maximum possible sentence for the crimes committed could be up to seven years.

He said: “I bear in mind your genuine remorse.

“I will take away eight months of your sentence for letters and counselling.”

Blackstock was jailed for 40 months for the drug charges, with an additional six months for the knife, to be served concurrently.

The dealer, from Thamesmead, south east London, blew a kiss to the public gallery as he was remanded in custody.

By Daniel Hammond

Since you are here

Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.

Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.

Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.

If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.

To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.

The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.

The shop can be found here.

You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending
Abdollah

‘Rescue us’: Afghan teacher begs UK to help him escape Taliban

CHOMSKY: “If Corbyn had been elected, Britain would be pursuing a much more sane course”

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

More from TLE

I WOULD SQUAWK 500 MILES – Britain’s fastest seagull travelled more than 500 miles in just seven days

UK Weather forecast, Thursday 29 July 2021

Restaurant Review: Vins

Video – Moment a Hercules plane lands on a British beach

‘I had more pressing things to worry about when denying climate change’, says Tory living in castle

What WWII Pilots Can Teach Us About Maths Education

In Pictures: Molten lava spews from collapsed volcano into the sea

Restaurant Review: EartH Kitchen

WATCH: Harrowing moment police find Polish slave living in squalid loft

Social media meltdown after Cycling Weekly publishes ‘Token attractive woman’ caption

JOBS

FIND MORE JOBS

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • JOBS
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.