Police found him in a house he was not supposed to be in
Anton Newman appeared at Hull Crown Court(Image: Hull Live)
A convicted drug dealer who breached a suspended prison sentence – as well as another court order – has been warned that he is “in the last chance saloon” and faces being jailed if he steps out of line again. Police found Anton Newman secretly inside a house even though he was banned from being there in the first place and had been warned to stay away, Hull Crown Court heard.
Newman, 32, admitted breaching a non-molestation order by going to a house in Driffield on November 12. He also admitted breaching a two-year suspended prison sentence imposed on May 13, 2024 for conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and cocaine.
Bede Porter, prosecuting, said that the non-molestation order, made at Hull Family Court on September 1, banned Newman from going to an address in Driffield but the police received information suggesting that he was there. They went to the house but there was no answer.
Police warned that they would break in if nobody answered. “The door was opened,” said Mr Porter. “The defendant was there. He was reminded that an order was in place.
“He said that he had done nothing wrong.” During police interview, he made no comment to all questions.
“It was a deliberate breach,” said Mr Porter. “The defendant knew the order was in place and he deliberately chose to go to the address.”
Newman had breached the suspended prison sentence on two previous occasions and he had convictions for possessing cannabis on June 5 last year and driving over the limit for drugs on June 9.
Jane Rapin, mitigating, said that Newman had been asked by a woman to go to the house that day. “This was simply a mistake, a misunderstanding over the terms of the order,” said Miss Rapin.
“He believed that he was complying with the spirit of the order.” It was a deliberate breach but Newman did not physically contact anyone that he should not have done.
“He is very regretful and he assures the court that it will be the only breach,” said Miss Rapin. He did not have a reasonable excuse for breaching the order but he was nearly “close” to having one.
Recorder Dan Pawson-Pounds KC told Newman: “Only a couple of months after that order was imposed, you were found at that address by a police officer. This was a deliberate breach and it wasn’t close to a reasonable excuse.”
Newman, of Batemoor Road, Sheffield, was fined £350. He was warned that he faced a prison sentence if he breached the order again. “You are in the last chance saloon,” said Recorder Pawson-Pounds.
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