Courier hid heroin in a children's novelty egg
A DRUG courier dropping off heroin concealed in a Kinder egg was caught by police, a court heard.
Heroin user Martin Hardy was twice beaten up by dealers after failing to pay his £2,500 drug debt. Eventually they recruited him as a courier whose jobs included secreting heroin in a Kinder egg behind a certain bin in Ashford Road, Lipson Vale, for collection later by someone else.
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Prosecutor Barry White said that on April 3 last year, police received a call tipping them off to drug-dealing activity.
A man was seen by police passing objects to people in cars.
Officers stopped one of the cars, driven by Hardy, and found a Kinder egg containing nine wraps of heroin weighing 1.43 grammes and with a purity of around 24 per cent.
He was spotted trying to hide another batch of heroin, weighing 3.33 grammes, down the back of his trousers. The total street value of the haul was nearly £500.
Hardy, aged 28 and from Parkside, Keyham, had previous convictions for possession of heroin and cannabis in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2009, Mr White said.
In mitigation, it was said that some of the heroin was for Hardy's personal use.
He had made good progress on a drug rehabilitation programme and wanted to leave drugs behind, having recently become a father.
Judge Francis Gilbert QC said Hardy had admitted being in possession of a class A drug with intent to supply, and acknowledged he had been acting as a runner to pay off a drug debt, but jailed him for three years.
10 Comments
by JR, Barbican
Monday, March 15 2010, 7:41AM
“Did somebody egg him on to do this????”
by Mick, Barbican
Sunday, March 14 2010, 11:15PM
“Quote-" Hardy was twice beaten up by dealers"
Your girfriend will cheer you up mate-'kiss me Hardy' and all that.”
by Mick, Barbican
Sunday, March 14 2010, 11:13PM
“Quote-"A drug courier dropping off heroin concealed in a Kinder egg was caught by police"
Now the yolks on him”
by Mr Lumberjack, Sherwood Forest
Sunday, March 14 2010, 7:59PM
“Junkie scum. Feed him through a woodchipper!!”
by Jack, Ashford Rd, Lipson
Sunday, March 14 2010, 1:36PM
“I live on that street. And have noticed numerous late nights, a six foot Rabbit skipping down by the railway line clutching a basket of confections. Must be the time of year.”
by M, Plymouth
Sunday, March 14 2010, 10:10AM
“So You think you're a better person, even though you sit here openly wishing for a mans death?
Mr Kunts (not as funny a name as you think it is) you're no better than him.
Alan, Well said!
Legalize, and take this poison out of the hands of people sinister enough to use childrens toys to hide it
May I point out that this isn't really news. This goes on across the world.
Childrens toys, Medicine, even actual children and old people are forced to carry it inside them, because Drug laws make the practice profitable.
Remove the profit and the crime goes away!
And the only way to remove the profitis to legalize and regulate!
Drug laws as they stand do more to BENIFIT organized crime than dissuade it.
the drug barons want drugs kept illegal, because it makes them rich!”
by Alan, Laira Lad
Sunday, March 14 2010, 8:02AM
“Another piece of XXXX sentenced to "FREE FOOD".."SKY and LCD TV" plus PLAYSTATION 3 " on the Taxpayer.Rehabilitation programme, another joke at our expense.His Drugs supply will be guaranteed whilst on holiday. What a "BLIGHT" on Society!!.”
by Kinder Egg, Plymouth
Saturday, March 13 2010, 8:32PM
“More like 'Kinder surprise'.”
by Joss, plymouth
Saturday, March 13 2010, 11:13AM
“lol”
by Benny Factor, On the horse.
Saturday, March 13 2010, 9:26AM
“Are they sure is was Heroin he was trying to hide down the back of his trousers? I expect it was probably crack.”