Drug dealer’s mum wins over judge

Desperate plea sees son spared prison

A drug dealer had to face the music after police found a large stash of cannabis inside a guitar case.

Mark Davidson, 31, was stopped by police but did a runner when officers found the instrument case stuffed with marijuana.

Police cuffed him after a short chase and his fate was sealed on the spot when a text message whizzed over to his mobile phone from a customer requesting a bag of weed.

The incriminating text pinged on his mobile just as police were arresting him, York Crown Court heard.

Officers found a total of 105g of cannabis worth between £640 and £820, said prosecutor Simon Waley.

Davidson, an ex-con, was charged with possessing a Class B drug with intent to supply. He admitted the charge and appeared for sentence on Friday.

Mr Waley said Davidson was a front-seat passenger in a Vauxhall Astra which was stopped on Victoria Road at 8.15pm on February 2.

“When officers stopped the car, the defendant handed over a small package of cannabis, but there was a further search of the car and inside a guitar case (they found) four further large bags,” added Mr Waley.

“The defendant, on seeing the large amounts being recovered from the guitar case, ran from the car but was stopped quite close by. He was found to have a number of dealer bags hidden in one of his socks.”

The court heard that Davidson, of Albemarle Back Road, was on prison licence at the time after being released from a 30-month sentence for possessing cocaine with intent to supply in July last year.

He also had previous convictions for possessing cannabis in 2010 and 2011, and possessing ecstasy in 2013. Davidson’s barrister Patricia Doherty claimed the father-of-one was now a reformed character and would lose his home if he were jailed again.

But what swung it for Davidson was a latter his mother wrote to Judge Paul Batty QC, pleading with him not to send her son to jail because of the struggles he had endured in the past.

Davidson was given a two-year suspended prison sentence with a 20-hour rehabilitation programme, as well as an electronic curfew.