Sunderland university student drug dealer jailed after being caught with cannabis and cocaine

Police and university officials attended Juan Bailey's flat in All Saints House, Sunderland, in February 2019 after reports of "noise and drug use" and were greeted by a smell of cannabis.

Newcastle Crown Court heard when questioned, Bailey picked up a carrier bag and made a run from the flat, barging two workers out of the way.

The court heard he was quickly caught and the bag, which contained 68g of cannabis and one gram of cocaine was seized.

A further 30g of cannabis along with four phones and over £800 in cash were found by police inside the flat.

Bailey, a mechanical engineering undergraduate, claimed during interview he was a user of the drugs and said he had "accumulated the cannabis for a forthcoming party".

But prosecutor Michael Bunch told the court the truth was revealed through texts found on two of the mobile phones.

Mr Bunch said: "The text messages involved the defendant offering to supply both types of drugs recovered from him, along with other drugs.

"On one occasion, the same message, quoting drugs and prices, was sent to 54 separate contacts held in the defendant's phone.

"That perhaps shows the scale of the defendant's operation."

Bailey, 22, pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine and cannabis with intent to supply and being concerned in making an offer to supply MDMA and a prescription drug similar to amphetamine.

Judge Edward Bindloss sentenced Bailey, who has a previous conviction for drugs offences, to 31 months behind bars.

The judge told him: "Two mobile phones had data extracted from them and revealed text messages which showed you were offering to supply class a drugs as well as others.

"One message had been sent to 54 different contacts."

The judge added: "You knew the consequences of supplying class A drugs."

Tom Mitchell, defending, said before Bailey started at Sunderland University he had spent seven months in Wormwood Scrubs prison accused of attempted murder, which he was acquitted of after a trial.

Mr Mitchell said Bailey had not processed or dealt with the ordeal of being falsely accused and added: "His life was changed forever."

Mr Mitchell added: "He knows he has made bad choices and those bad choices have led him to this door today for doing what he was doing back then."

Mr Mitchell said in the almost two years since he commit the offences, Bailey has finished the second year of his university course and has been working.

The court heard Bailey was suspended by Sunderland University but would have been allowed to finish his third year if he had not been sent to prison.

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