‘Bright 21-year-old with potential’ jailed over £200k of heroin
A TALENTED footballer ‘betrayed his ambitions’ to enter the ‘sordid criminal world’ of drug-dealing.
Ramiro Orr, 21, had a ‘promising future’ and had dreams of turning pro. He was also training to become an engineer.
Orr’s life took a turn when he started smoking cannabis.
He started selling small amounts of drugs, before moving on to Class A substances.
Orr fell into debt, and was ordered by his criminal contacts to make the money back.
He was later was caught with two blocks of high-purity heroin worth up to £200,000 – and was Tasered by police as he desperately tried to flee.
Orr, from Longsight, has now been jailed for four-and-a-half years.
A judge described his situation as a ‘modern tragedy.’
Manchester Crown Court was told Orr fled after being stopped by officers on New Bank Street in Longsight on January 25. Police used a Taser to apprehend him. Orr had a black Armani bag, a rucksack, two mobile phones, £400 in cash and a lock knife. Officers discovered two 1kg blocks of high purity heroin in the rucksack. Orr also had £3,500-worth of heroin in his pockets. Small amounts of cocaine were recovered. When police searched Orr’s Longsight home they found more drugs, cash and snap bags. Officers recovered around £800-worth of cocaine and £660-worth of cannabis. The court heard that the blocks of heroin could have been worth anything from £50,000, at a wholesale price, to £200,000, if had have been broken down and sold on the street. Prosecuting, Simon Barrett said the heroin was of ‘unusually high purity.’ It is likely that the blocks were imported into the UK relatively recently, the court heard. Defending, Ian McMeekin said Orr’s girlfriend pleaded with him to stop. “He had a promising future, whether it was going to be as a Judge Field QC professional or semiprofessional footballer,” he added.
Mr Meakin said Orr, who has no previous convictions, put football ‘to one side’ because of its competitive nature and was training to become an engineer.
Judge Patrick Field QC asked Orr: “What is it that inspires a bright, intelligent 21-year-old man with potential; a young man with a promising future embarking upon a vehicle engineering course, and no doubt looking forward to providing for his family, a man who wants to be looked up to and admired by his younger brother.
“What inspires somebody like that to betray his own ambition and that of his family’s trust in him and to become a drug dealer?
“What inspired you to enter that sordid criminal world?
“I am frankly not sure what the answer is, and I strongly suspect that only you know the answer to it.
“It’s something I’m afraid you are going to have some considerable time to think about.”
Judge Field said it was clear Orr was ‘trusted’ to carry large amounts of drugs.
Orr, of Edlin Close, Longsight, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply heroin, cocaine and cannabis, as well as possession of a bladed article.