Hostel resident ‘pressured’ into dealing cocaine
A Down-on-his-luck hostel resident who was pressured into dealing heroin and crack cocaine has claimed that there was nobody at the hostel to say over drugs: “You can’t do this.”
Kirk Day, 39, found himself at the William Booth hostel in Hull but claimed that he wouldn’t wish it on his “worst enemy” because there was “no guidance or supervision at all”.
He claimed that it was the case that “anything was going on” but he was caught dealing near the hostel and police found drugs and cash in his room there, Hull Crown Court heard.
Day, of Ilchester Close, Bransholme, admitted possessing crack cocaine and heroin with intent to supply, possessing cannabis and painkiller capsules and possessing £1,050 cash as criminal property on March 5.
Rachel Scott, prosecuting, said that police in Porter Street, Hull, saw four known drug users walk towards the William Booth hostel.
Day approached them and police stopped him. He told the police: “I have got some bits and bobs in my pocket.”
He had 20 wraps of crack cocaine, four wraps of heroin, a 3.3g package of heroin as well as paracetamol and diazepam tablets.
His room at the hostel was
39-YEAR-OLD SNARED BY POLICE searched and 84 diazepam tablets, of control without you being able to one was killed,” said Judge Bury. “You other capsules and 4.63g of cannabis stop it.” would be in really hot water then.” were found as well as £1,050 cash, He said of the hostel: “It was better He told Day: “Your life spiralled scales and a dealer’s list. He claimed for me to be out of there.” out of control when you came back the money was for a deposit on a flat. He claimed he had recently been to Hull.
Day told the court he ended up beaten up by the drug associates “You ended up in the William at the hostel after working away in that he knew. Booth hostel.”
Wales for a time. There were, he Day was now living with his Day had said “you wouldn’t wish claimed, about 200 people living 17-year-old son in Bransholme and your worst enemy to live there”. there at the time. was working as a delivery driver for a Judge Bury said: “You were being
He said of his drug activities: café and shop in Hull. pressured into drug dealing. You “There was nobody to say ‘You can’t He admitted he was still smoking said you had to do this because you do this.’” cannabis for pain relief for a hand or were under pressure and the police
He sometimes had only about £50 finger injury. accept that.
Universal Credit to last him a month. Judge Mark Bury told him he “Since your arrest, you have
“I have always worked and I needed to stop taking cannabis, managed to pull yourself up through have never really been used to that especially if he was a delivery driver. your own effort.” situation,” said Day. “Just imagine what would happen Day was given an 18-month
“I ended up borrowing money to if you had an accident when you suspended prison sentence and 15 live. I got pressurised. It spiralled out were under the influence and some- days’ rehabilitation.