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‘Drug addiction and misuse is a plague on our society,’ Judge tells Sheffield heroin and crack dealer
A Sheffield drug dealer found with hundreds of pounds of crack cocaine and heroin has walked away from court with a suspended sentence after ‘turning his life around’.
Defendant, Tyreece Daley, was over half-way through a two-year suspended sentence order for an offence of possession of a bladed article when he was stopped by police in Sheffield on July 31, 2020, a hearing held at Sheffield Crown Court on May 30, 2023, heard.
“He was found to be in possession of a number of items linked to dealing in unlawful drugs including 20 wraps of heroin, and 24 wraps of crack cocaine, worth between them £540. He also had £180 in cash,” prosecuting barrister, Richard Sheldon, told the court.
Daley, now aged 23, was also found to be in possession of a mobile telephone, which when examined, showed the ‘classic hallmarks’ of ‘street dealing,’ Mr Sheldon said, going on to explain that in addition to communication around providing Class A drugs, the phone also contained messages ‘offering to supply cannabis’.
Mr Sheldon said Daley received a sentence of 14 months’ custody, suspended for two years, for the knife offence, and was 14 months into that two-year period when he was arrested for the drug matters.
Daley, of Sunny Bank, Broomhall, Sheffield was subsequently charged with, and pleaded guilty to, two offences of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, namely heroin and crack cocaine; offering to supply the Class B drug, cannabis and breach of a suspended sentence.
The judge, Recorder Felicity Davies, told Daley’s barrister, Emily Hassell, she had taken note of the fact there had been a lengthy delay in Daley being brought before the court to be sentenced for his offending, which was carried out almost three years ago, when he was 20-years-old.
Ms Hassell said: “[Since his offending] there has been a major change in this defendant’s life. There was a period of instability in the family, which ultimately led to the loss of the family home when the defendant was aged 18, and it was after that, that things seemed to go wrong.”
She added: “He turned to substance misuse, accrued a debt, and proceeded to supply illegal substances to [pay] that debt.”
“There was a concentrated amount of offending after the age of 18, but there has been nothing since the commission of these offences. Your Honour has noted the delay in this case…it has afforded him the opportunity to demonstrate that he is able to stay out of trouble for a consistent, lengthy period of time.”
Ms Hassell told the court how in the intervening period between his offending and sentencing hearing, Daley has obtained employment, has ‘re-established links with his mother and grandmother’. Ms Hassell said Daley has also been providing regular care to his mother ‘to assist with her recovery,’ following an operation.
Sentencing Daley, Recorder Davies laid bare the impact drug dealing has on society.
She said: “Drug addiction and drug misuse are an absolute plague upon our society, and causes offending and misery, and that’s why these sentences are so severe. But you have particularly significant mitigation, in that you have used the delay that there has been in getting your case to court to very good use. You have obtained full-time employment…you’ve demonstrated remorse and have got yourself off drugs.”
Recorder Davies sentenced Daley to 22 months’ custody, suspended for two years; ordered him to complete a 25-day rehabilitation activity requirement; 200 hours of unpaid work and an alcohol monitoring requirement.
