Teenager who tried to quit selling drugs '˜threatened with gun'

A CARE leaver who moved into supported accommodation was threatened with a gun by men who made him sell drugs, a court heard.

Matthew Crocket was caught with 24 wraps of crack cocaine and 38 wraps of heroin on January 15 when police searched his room in The Foyer, Greetham Street, in Portsmouth city centre.

Police found £200 in a bag. The drugs were worth £760.

When he admitted two charges of possessing class A drugs with intent to supply his basis of plea said he was under pressure from two men.

It said: ‘They threatened me with a gun.’

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Portsmouth Crown Court heard Crocket, then 19, started selling in September 2016 but was coerced afterwards by the ‘very serious people’.

Crocket, 20, now of Sarum Hill, Basingstoke, was given a two-year prison term suspended for two years with 200 hours of unpaid work and 30 days of rehabilitation.

Vivid, The Foyer’s provider, said ‘safety of our residents is our top priority’ and the city council it assesses safeguarding when placing people.