Sunderland drug dealer jailed after fingerprint linked him to cannabis farm

Dean Spurr's home was raided after the print was found and his mobile phone was seized when he was arrested.

As police led him away from his house on February 14 last year, the 37-year-old told his partner "it's about the grow".

Prosecutor Paul Cross told Newcastle Crown Court: "There were messages found which showed him dealing in cannabis in quantities of £160 worth at a time.

"An average user would buy £10 or £20, so the prosecution say he was more than just a street dealer."

Mr Cross said the fingerprint showed a link between Spurr and the cannabis grow but there was no evidence of direct involvement in it.

Spurr, of Rowan Close, Sunderland, admitted supplying cannabis between January 2019 and February 2020.

Ashleigh Metcalfe, defending, said: "He was supplying to people who he assumed were supplying to others but not through his direction or orders."

Miss Metcalfe said Spurr is a dad who lives a "good community life", has his own commercial cleaning business, which is doing well and wants to reduced his own cannabis intake, despite having no formal assistance to do so.

Mr Recorder David Brooke QC sentenced Spurr to 12 months behind bars.

The judge told him: "There was a seizure of some cannabis plants and your finger print was linked to you.

"That led to your arrest and on your telephone was found evidence of drug dealing, cannabis dealing, over quite a long period of time.

"It is not just the norm we sometimes see, this was serious dealing."

The judge said Spurr's supply was "more than normal for street dealing".

Proceedings have now commenced under the Procceds of Crime Act, meaning prosecutors could seize any of Spurr's assets made through dealing.

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