by An 18-year-old former junior boxer and community volunteer was yesterday jailed for five years after being caught in possession of an empty pistol and just under an estimated £2k worth of heroin and cocaine.
Liverpool Crown Court heard yesterday that Sonny Daley, 18, was sent to work in the drug trade after running up a cannabis debt to his dealer, the Liverpool Echo reported. Defense barrister Lloyd Morgan told the court that Daley was in college and “participated heavily” in amateur boxing before he started using cannabis when he was 15, where he then ran up debts.
“He was pressured into dealing drugs and carrying a firearm, which he believed to be fake,” Mr Morgan said.
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Daley finally came to the attention of the authorities on the evening of July 25 this year, when police on patrol in Grant Gardens, Everton, spotted Daley with a JD Sports bag over his shoulder. The teenager, of Tordelow Close, Everton, appeared to be “dealing with drug addicts”, and officers tried to stop him as a result.
But Derek Jones, prosecuting, described how he “put up” some of the illegal substances in his possession and ran towards Everton Road. Daley then proceeded to Bright Street before heading down a path leading to Churton Court, where the PCs heard “a rustling of bushes” and discovered the defendant’s hiding place.
His bag was also lying nearby along with more drug wrappers. When officers looked inside, they immediately noticed what appeared to be a firearm”, along with £890 in cash.
Seized were 31 wraps of crack cocaine worth an estimated £660, 44 cocaine wraps worth £880 and 22 heroin wraps with a street value of around £440. Daley told officers at the scene that the weapon was “fake” but, upon analysis, it was found to be a white-hot pistol made in Turkey that had been successfully tested.
It was also loaded with four bullets that were themselves converted from blanks. However, the gun has not been linked to any previous shootings.
When told that Daley had no previous convictions, Judge Simon Medland KC told the defence: “Your client is 18 and of previous good character. It is a disgrace.”
“It is infinitely depressing,” said the judge. “Some people seem to think dealing drugs is glamorous. It is not. It destroys people’s lives. Guns in particular are an absolute threat.”
In mitigation, Mr Morgan said Daley had previously been at college looking at a career working on the railways. “He is a young man, I’m sure your honor will acknowledge from testimonies, that he not only had a lot of promise in society but already contributed a lot to organizations he was involved with.”
“This included Everton’s amateur boxing club and youth community – where he had received member of the year a few years earlier. The fall of such a young man points to some underlying problems in the community.
“It’s a complete disgrace. He asked me to express his shame and regret for his involvement. He knows that not only has he let himself and his family down, but he recognizes the ills this follows for society.”
“Since he is on remand in Altcourse, he has not wasted his time. He is employed as a wing cleaner. He wants to try and get a job on the railways when he is released from prison . here.
Sentencing, Judge Medland said: “It is very unfortunate that a young man of previous promise and good character with good family and social support has fallen so low that he is behaving like this. a glamorous way that should be disavowed very quickly of that.
“Drugs destroy people’s lives. They destroy society, break up families and do nothing but harm. You are a living example of that. Despite your many advantages in life, and your promise as a young boxer, you started accept it.cannabis brought you into contact with serious criminals who put you to work.
“By working as you did, you were helping to perpetuate the cycle of corruption and despair that drugs bring to people’s lives. You were doing so armed with a loaded working pistol.
“You might have thought it was still a blank shot pistol but by the time you had it, the original was painted black and it was loaded with four bullets and it worked. It’s a very criminal conviction this is serious, even a young man of good character before.”
Daley admitted possession of a prohibited firearm, possession of ammunition without a certificate, possession of heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply and possession of criminal property. Appearing via video link to HMP Altcourse wearing a blue Under Armor t-shirt, he was jailed for five years and four months.
