It was claimed in court he had become so well known in Bridlington it was impossible for him to continue thieving
A drug user funded his heavy addiction so often from repeated shoplifting missions that it was claimed he had been banned from just about every shop in Bridlington. Father-of-six David O’Connell became so notorious in the town that it was virtually impossible for him to continue thieving – because he was too well known.
He turned in desperation to selling heroin and cocaine on the streets in return for dealers allowing him to have enough supplies of drugs for his own needs, Hull Crown Court heard. O’Connell, 41, of Pembroke Terrace, Bridlington, but recently in custody on remand, admitted possessing heroin and cocaine with intent to supply on October 11 last year. He also admitted affray and having a knife on August 22 this year.
Amber Hobson, prosecuting, said that police saw O’Connell go to a house in South Back Lane, Bridlington, at 10am and take part in a hand-to-hand drugs exchange. He returned there at 11.15am and further police were called in.
Police went to the property and found O’Connell with 33 wraps of crack cocaine, weighing more than 6g and with a street value of £640, in a black sock. There was £240 cash on the floor by his feet. Inside his jacket pocket were 13 wraps of heroin, with a street value of £130.
Sentence on those matters was deferred for six months at a hearing on May 23 for O’Connell to show that he could stay out of trouble but he ended up in custody after committing the new offences. He became involved in an incident that turned violent in South Back Lane after about 6.15am.
O’Connell’s nephew suffered a cut to his face during a confrontation. O’Connell was seen running and he had a stick in his hand. “Police arrived within a couple of minutes,” said Miss Hobson.
O’Connell was later arrested after 10pm and he claimed that he had taken the knife off the person who had allegedly tried to slash his nephew. Knives were found in a garden.
He said that he had been in bed when the trouble first started but he went outside and saw his nephew covered in blood. The man that he went towards had a knife.
O’Connell had convictions for 62 previous offences, mainly for shop theft, but also for threatening behaviour and possessing drugs.
Steven Garth, mitigating, said that O’Connell’s drug addiction was at the heart of the drugs case. “All his adult life, he has taken drugs,” said Mr Garth. “By the time of these drug offences, he was an experienced Class A drug addict.
“He has primarily funded his drug addiction by shoplifting but he was so well known that it was no longer an option.” He had been barred from every shop in Bridlington, it was claimed.
O’Connell was told by dealers that, if he sold some drugs on the side, the supplier would ensure that he could have adequate amounts of heroin and cocaine for his own use. “Foolishly but in some desperation, he agreed to this arrangement and went along with this suggestion,” said Mr Garth.
“It was his first expedition into the world of supplying. Just two days into his supplying activities, he was spotted by the the police and arrested. He was found in possession of heroin and cocaine.
“His motivation was not financial, it was not to enrich himself, it was to fund his own habit.” Before sentence was deferred in May, O’Connell had spent more than seven months in custody on remand.
He got involved in the affray after hearing a commotion outside in the street at 6am. He looked out of his window and saw a fight going on involving young men with knives.
“He went outside,” said Mr Garth. “His aim was to calm the situation and, if he could, disarm the young men of their knives. Once outside, he saw his nephew.
“His nephew had his face slashed and was bleeding profusely. He saw the man who he believed was his nephew’s attacker holding a knife. He disarmed the attacker of the knife.
“He chased the attacker a short distance down the street. This lasted just seconds before he, happily, came to his senses and he gave up the knife to a lady who was in the street, who deposited it over the wall of a garden. Foolishly, he got himself involved, albeit for a few seconds.”
O’Connell was jailed for two years and nine months. The £240 cash seized will be forfeited and given to the Space2BHeard project.