Dorchester drug dealers are jailed

8:20am Saturday 25th October 2008

TWO drug dealers who were caught selling drugs in Dorchester during a covert police operation have been sent to prison.

They were caught separately during one of Dorset Police’s biggest drugs busts – Operation Trove which resulted in the arrest of 21 people earlier this month.

Yesterday, Judge Roger Jarvis sentenced 21-year-old Carmen Yardley to 24 months in prison and 38-year-old Richard John House to 27 months.

Yardley, of Elizabeth Place, Dorchester, was convicted of nine separate charges of supplying a class A drug.

House, of Fenway Close, Dorchester, was convicted of four charges of supplying a class A drug and two of attem-pting to sell a class A drug.

The pair, who admitted the offences, were caught after supplying heroin and cocaine to an undercover test purchaser from the police.

Judge Jarvis sitting at Dorchester Crown Court said: “It seems to me that there is a significant amount of dealing of class A drugs in the Dorchester area.

“It is the duty of this court to ensure that anyone who is dealing does it at their own risk – if they are caught it is to prison they will go.”

The court heard that Yardley was first contacted on July 25 by the officer and then again on nine occasions where she dealt £10 bags of both heroin and cocaine.

In mitigation, Richard Tutt said that Yardley was at the ‘bottom of the supply chain’ and that she said she was pressured to deal after getting into debt.

He said she had a £50 a day heroin habit.

Prosecutor Joanna Morrissey said that at one point the officer saw as many as 50 individual cellophane wraps of drugs worth £10 each in her bag.

The court heard that Yardley would meet the undercover officer after he phoned to request drugs in locations around Dorchester.

During the sentencing of House Miss Morrissey told the court he had 16 previous convictions for 60 offences including possessing drugs, supplying class B drugs and offences of dishonesty and driving without a licence.

The court was told how House would meet the officer near Holloway Road and deal heroin and cocaine.

Miss Morrissey said that on one occasion House said he had to meet a man to get the drugs and took the officer to Somerfield supermarket where he attempted to deal drugs to the officer. It was later tested by police and found to be an unknown substance.

In mitigation, Mr Tutt said that House had tried to turn his life around and was receiving support to get off drugs.

Judge Jarvis described House as a ‘significant street dealer'.

Outside court, Inspector Les Fry of Dorchester police said: “This is a good result for Dorchester.

“It will continue to send a strong message out to those involved in supply or use of controlled drugs that they will be punished.”