TWO Winchester men, including a university student, have been jailed for more than five years after being caught dealing in cocaine and cannabis.

Jamie Day, 25, and Kye Page, 22, were arrested by police in a series of coordinated raids across the city in December 2019.

Officers detained both men at a flat on Magdalen Hill and found cannabis and cocaine as well as bags, a scales and mobile phones. Page emerged from the bathroom after having thrown his phone out of the window, a court heard.

Day, of Old Station Approach, and Page, of Walpole Road, Stanmore, admitted supply of both class B cannabis and class A cocaine between April 1 2018 and December 14 2019.

It was a small amount of cannabis, with a street value of about £800 and 25g of cocainewith a street value of £2,650.

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Amber Athill, mitigating for Day, said he was a university student but became addicted to drugs and turned to dealing to fund his habit.

"He was not living lavishly, not splashing the cash, he couldn't pay his rent. He was dealing for one purpose only, to fund his habit.

"He was 22 at the time and immature. He had fallen out with his mother and was living alone for the first time, at university for the first time. He was going out four-five nights a week, using drugs and getting into debt. He was brought to the county court for rent arrears. He was not acting sensibly or thinking of his future."

Since his arrest he has gone back to university and is also working at skateboard workshops, and said Ms Athill matured as a person and "turned his life around".

Fabienne Macey, mitigating for Page, said his dealing was selling to friends to help cover his costs. Since the arrest in 2019 he has stayed out of trouble. His partner is five months pregnant, expecting their first child.

Page has secured a job with a roofing company and is well-regarded by his employer, said Ms Macey.

But back in 2018-19 his drug use was spiralling out of control. Since his arrest in December 2019 "he has done some serious growing up. If he goes to prison he will be punished but also miss the birth of his first child and there will be repercussions on his partner, long-term partner of many years, who will miss out on his support."

The judge, Mr Recorder B Newton, said he could not suspend the sentence as requested by both Ms Macey and Athill and jailed Page for two years and eight months and Day for two years and six months.

Speaking after the hearing, Winchester’s district commander, Chief Inspector Jon Turton said “This is an excellent result following a great piece of work by officers from Hampshire Constabulary.  

“Drugs supply and associated crime can be devastating to communities. It is often connected to other offending, such as violence or even the exploitation and abuse of vulnerable adults and children, which is why we continue to do everything we can to tackle them and keep our communities safe. 

“I hope this case reassures our communities that we continue to disrupt those involved in drug related crime and keep people safe.”

 

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