'Older and wiser' Gosport lawbreaker turns back to crime by peddling drugs to raise cash before being sent to jail

Gosport villain Michael Wealthall, 35, was back in familiar territory after being caught red-handed by police with £3,500 worth of the drugs and £1,325 of cash while performing the role as a driver.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard how Wealthall, of South Street, was struggling for money during the Covid pandemic before deciding to turn his hand back to crime.

But the drug pusher – who embarked on an ‘extensive period of offending in his past’ – was busted by police while driving in the town with an associate on May 13, 2020. The defendant was found with 27g of crack cocaine and 11g of heroin.

The court heard Wealthall ‘knew he was taking a risk’ by agreeing to ferry the drugs but was ‘attracted by the prospect of easy and welcome money’.

Fern Russell, defending, said: ‘He is an individual who had made good inroads but succumbed to temptation during the pandemic.’

Arguing for Wealthall to be spared prison, she added: ‘He had some difficulty with court orders – which there were a lot of in the past – but he is now older and wiser.

‘He is aware where non-engagement gets him.’

Ms Russell claimed the drug dealer, who had been offered a job for a company, would engage ‘very well’ with a community order should he be granted the opportunity after the ‘isolated lapse’.

But judge Keith Cutler was in no mood to allow Wealthall keep his liberty after the ‘serious’ crimes.

‘You choose a way to raise money that was illegal,’ the judge told Wealthall.

He added: ‘You decided to use your car to play a role in a supply of serious drugs. You were the driver and another person was fulfilling the significant role and was the main mover.

‘You have numerous previous offences but you have not been before the court recently.’

The judge then jailed Wealthall for 30 months.

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He had admitted two charges of possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply and a single count of possessing criminal property.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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