Drug user became a dealer after £8k debt

A drug user who was forced to turn dealer after he ran up a £8,000 debt has kept his freedom.

Police found packages of cocaine and ketamine when they responded to a call at Kyle Copeland's home about him being assaulted in December 2018.

Newc a s tl e C row n Court heard Copeland had been fo rc e d i nto s e l l - i n g to pay o f f debts he had built up through a £350-per-day habit.

Copeland, 25, of Tower Street West, Sunderland, admitted possessing the drugs with intent to supply.

Prosecutor Paul Cross told the court police had been called to Copeland's home, where he lived alone, on December 16 2018 after a report "a man was being assaulted".

They found a package containing 4.67g of cocaine, worth up to £320 and four packages of ketamine, with a combined weight of over 14g ,worth up to £570.

David Callan, defending, said Copeland had a drug habit that was "ruining his life" and added: "He was being pressurised to pay back his drug debts by dealing in he drugs himself.

"There is support for that by the fact this only came to the police attent io n by th e f ac t the defendant was b e i n g b e at e n u p outside his own front door.

"It wasn't the first time he had been beaten up because he owed money."

Mr Callan said Copeland is now "clean", has a job, a relationship and has rebuilt bridges with his family.

Judge Edward Bindloss sentenced Copeland to 18 m o nth s’ i m p r i s o n m e nt , suspended for 12 months, with 150 hours unpaid work.