Child rapist jailed for 24 years given extra time behind bars for dealing drugs

Before David Dibell was jailed in January last year for sickening offences against a young girl, he had agreed to warehouse high grade cocaine and heroin, worth up to £85,000, to raise cash to pay "solicitors".

Newcastle Crown Court the drugs were found in his Vauxhall van in May 2019 and his fingerprints were on some of the packages.

Prosecutor Jessica Slaughter told the court Dibell refused to name the dealer he was storing the drugs for but admitted "he needed additional money to pay solicitors" for court proceedings.

Dibell, 28, who is currently serving a 24-year jail term with an extended six-year licence, has now been given an additional two years and eight months, which he will start serving at the end of his current sentence.

The court heard the Vauxhall van had been parked outside the home of Daniel Walmsley in Washington.

Inside the house police found £15,485 in cash, a cocaine and MDMA mixture worth up to £1,800, a small amount of cocaine and a mobile phone containing messages that exposed Walmsley as a cocaine dealer.

Miss Slaughter told the court the texts on the phone indicated Walmsley was a "street to mid level dealer, supplying directly to users as well as supplying larger quantities to street dealers".

The court heard Walmsley referred to the drugs he was supplying as "lethal".

Dibell's van contained just under a kilo of cocaine at 77 percent purity and worth up to £42,000 as well as four packages containing a total of just under two kilos of heroin, which was around 54 percent purity and could have been sold for £43,000 or even more on the streets.

Dibell, of no fixed address, has admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine and heroin.

Walmsley, 31, of Weardale House, Washington, admitted possession with intent to supply cocaine and possessing MDMA and has been jailed for three years and nine months.

Gavin Doig, defending, said Dibell has no history of drugs offending and added: "His involvement was nine days. He understands holding a substantial quantity of Class A drugs is serious offences.

"It was very much an aberration brought on by the particular circumstances in which he found himself."

David Lamb QC, defending Walmsley, said the drugs offences are old and there has been no repetition since.

The court heard Walmsley's partner is due to have a baby and the jail term means he will miss the birth.