Dealer gets 30-month jail term for supplying and possessing drugs

Dealer gets 30-month jail term for supplying and possessing drugs

12 December 2018

A DOWNPATRICK man described as a “low level” drug dealer by police has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.

At Downpatrick Crown Court on Monday Sean Fitzsimmons (33), of Kennedy Square, admitted seven charges of supplying and possessing controlled drugs with an estimated street value of between £1,500 and £2,400.

He will spend one year and three months in custody and the rest out of jail on licence.

He admitted a charge of offering to supply cocaine, two charges of supplying and being in possession of cocaine and four other charges of possessing MDMA, morphine, oxycodone and cannabis.

The court heard that on March 4, 2016, Fitzsimmons was spotted by police outside a bar in Newcastle sniffing a white powder and offering some to another man.

After he was arrested, police found two bags containing a small quantity of cocaine. Mr David McClean QC, prosecuting, said other drugs were found during a search of his home the next day.

An examination of his mobile phone showed 19 texts, mostly to friends and acquaintances, offering to supply them with drugs, added the barrister.

He said that Fitzsimmons came before the court with a lengthy record of 239 convictions — 20 of them for drugs offences — and that he had been under three suspended sentences at the time of these offences.

Mr McClean added that just five weeks before the offences, Fitzsimmons had also received a probation order from the court and that he still had several other cases pending.

Mr Paul McAlinden, defending appealed to Judge Piers Grant to give his client a chance to complete a 12-week drug rehabilitation course ahead of imposing a custody sentence.

Describing Fitzsimmons as a “sorry sight”,  who lived a “chaotic life with trauma and addiction”, the barrister told the court that Fitzsimmons was determined to beat his addiction.

He referred to the evidence given by probation and addiction staff who said that Fitzsimmons had recently been working hard to tackle his addiction.

A probation officer told Judge Piers Grant that as the supply of drugs was readily available in prisons, it was likely that Fitzsimmons would use drugs if he was in custody and that he would not get the same level of support inside jail like he would by taking part in a rehabilitation course.

However, Judge Grant imposed the jail sentence and told Fitzsimmons: “It is quite clear you have not used the assistance that has been given to you.” 

He added that Fitzsimmons could apply for drug rehabilitation course after his release from custody.