1 week Ago By [email protected] (Mark Naylor)
Eagle-eyed police found a satchel containing cocaine worth £3,200 hidden under the seat of a motorcycle that was being used by a debt-ridden drug dealer. Declan Metcalf had "no fear of anything" at the time that he was caught because he was "just into drugs" and did not care. He hoped that, by selling cocaine on the streets, it would help wipe out a "significant" debt that he owed, Hull Crown Court heard.
Metcalf, 24, of Penrose Close, Bransholme , Hull, admitted possessing cocaine with intent to supply and having no insurance and driving licence on May 24. Connor Stuart, prosecuting, said that police spotted Metcalf riding a motorcycle in Bransholme. They knew him from previous incidents.
The motorcycle was traced to him and police went to his home the next day. The seat of the motorcycle was removed and, in a satchel, police found 134 wraps of cocaine. A mobile phone was found and there were messages relating to cocaine with a purity of 55 to 65 per cent.
The estimated street value of the 40g of cocaine found was £3,200. He was arrested but, during police interview, he made no comment to questions. He had a conviction for possessing Class A drugs in December 2021.
The court heard that Metcalf had previously spent six weeks in custody on remand before being given bail. He told the court that he did not enjoy being in custody and that he later made the decision to give up drugs "100 per cent" and block out that part of his life. Keep up to date with all the latest crime and court news from Hull with our free newsletter He said of the drugs offence: "At the time, I just had no fear of anything.
I was just into drugs. My life's completely different now – completely different." He was working full-time doing plastering and rendering.
Defence barrister Oliver Shipley was not asked to provide further mitigation after Metcalf spoke directly to the court to give information on his situation. Judge Mark Bury said that Metcalf acted at the time out of "stupidity" after going "off the rails" but it was now not the lifestyle that he wanted. "You ended up losing your job and getting into significant debt," said Judge Bury.
The way that Metcalf tried to get out of that was by selling cocaine. "You were hoping that your debt would be reduced by doing that," said Judge Bury. "It was a very foolish decision.
You were remanded in custody for six weeks. "It was not a happy experience, which is good, because prison isn't supposed to be a happy experience. You are now off drugs.
You have learned your lesson from this." Get all the latest crime and court news in Hull straight to your mobile via WhatsApp by clicking here . If you don’t like our community, you can leave any time.
We also treat members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. Read our privacy notice here . If Metcalf had "half a brain", he would not even think about taking drugs again or, "worse still, dealing drugs".
Metcalf was given a 21-month suspended prison sentence and 200 hours' unpaid work. "You get a chance," said Judge Bury. "Don't blow it.
"The good news is that it isn't going to be prison – but it might be if you are not careful. I am hopeful, and expecting, that this will be the last time that anyone will see you in the dock of a Crown Court." Metcalf was banned from driving for six months under the totting-up system because he already had six penalty points on his licence because of an offence of having no insurance in June last year.
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