A DEALER who has spent 12 of the past 20 years in prison has been jailed after admitting supplying drugs.
Matthew Charles Harris was arrested last summer after Customs intercepted a package sent from the UK to the 42-year-old in Jersey which contained £8,000 worth of the heroin-substitute Subutex.
Several days earlier, officers seized an envelope containing £1,000 in cash which Harris had sent to an address in Liverpool.
The money was believed to be either the proceeds of drug dealing or payment for more illegal substances, the Royal Court heard yesterday.
When the police searched Harris’s home they found cannabis, Subutex and testosterone – a class C controlled drug – as well as cash and two mobile phones.
The devices contained numerous messages in which he offered to supply drugs.
Harris – who has 56 previous offences, 14 of which were for importing, possessing or supplying drugs – initially pleaded not guilty or entered no plea to the charges.
In October last year he eventually admitted offering to supply drugs, being concerned in the supply of drugs and possession. He also admitted attempting to remove criminal property and possessing criminal property.
Crown Advocate Luke Sette, prosecuting, said: “He is at very high risk of re-offending within the next year, and at high-risk of harm. Drugs have an extremely damaging impact on the local community.”
He recommended a sentence of 18 months in prison.
Advocate Mike Preston, defending, said Harris had started taking drugs at the age of 14 and was an addict. “This is something he battles with on a daily basis,” he said.
He said that Harris was currently caring for his elderly father, and argued that his eventual guilty pleas were “of significant value”.
The advocate also pointed out: “He has never had a community service order. He is willing and able to carry out community service.”
However, Deputy Bailiff Robert MacRae said that the court felt a prison sentence was unavoidable.
Announcing a one-year jail term, he told Harris: “You are reluctant to accept your guilt and believe you have done nothing wrong. It’s your choice and nobody else’s that you appear in court.
“It is a lifestyle choice that has led you to commit these offences.”
The Jurats sitting were Kim Averty and Gareth Hughes.
Following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Jim McGranahan, who leads the States police Drug Squad, said: “We are committed to removing illegal drugs from Jersey and seeing those responsible for supplying them, put before the courts.”
“We continue to work with our partners and other agencies to protect our community from the harm these drugs can cause.”
