Hull Crown Court heard he had shown deep remorse and ‘rekindled his Christian faith’
Miguel Demeter appeared at Hull Crown Court(Image: Hull Live)
A young drug dealer was “caught bang to rights” after selling heroin and cocaine on the streets of Hull while armed with a potentially lethal kitchen knife. Miguel Demeter had “all the gear that goes with a street level drug dealer” including some advertising-based “calling cards” for customers.
He was using cannabis at the time that he got involved in the “scourge” of “nasty” drug dealing, Hull Crown Court heard. Demeter, 18, admitted possessing heroin and cocaine with intent to supply as well as possessing a knife on December 30.
Harry Bradford, prosecuting, said that plainclothes police in the Spring Bank area of Hull saw Demeter leave a flat and get onto a bicycle before heading off towards Beverley Road. He stopped and spoke to a group of known drug users.
Demeter went to a multi-storey car park in Pryme Street. Others in the area realised that the police were nearby and ran off. The police ran to stop Demeter leaving and he was arrested while trying to escape.
Heroin and cocaine were found on him as well as a large black-handled kitchen knife, £80 cash, £44.41 in loose change and, in his trouser pocket, another £485 cash. A mobile phone was analysed and it contained bulk messages advertising the sale of drugs.
Customers who wanted to buy drugs were urged by Demeter to “Shout us out” and “Shout me” for sales. During police interview, Demeter made no comment to all questions. He had no previous convictions.
Oliver Saddington, mitigating, said that it was always a tragedy to see somebody aged 18 in court for offences such as these. “He is somebody who has never been in this position before,” said Mr Saddington.
“He has shown about as much shame as a young man can. Since this offence, he has thought long and hard about how he can avoid putting himself in this position again. He has rekindled his Christian faith.”
Demeter had shown deep remorse and he was a polite, clever and ambitious young man. He had hoped to enrol on a college course in mechanical engineering but he had not yet got a place.
“He is actively hoping to put something in place to better his lot,” said Mr Saddington. “He has taken steps to address his offending. He has stopped smoking cannabis.
“He had misguided loyalty to those who supplied him. It was misguided and very wrong indeed to carry a knife.” Demeter had been assessed as being a low risk of reoffending.
Recorder Nick Worsley KC told Demeter: “You involved yourself in very serious offending. You were selling drugs on street level. You had all the gear that goes with a street level drug dealer.
“You had calling cards. You were caught bang to rights. Heaven knows why it was, in reality, that you got yourself involved in this drug dealing enterprise.
“You were carrying a weapon. Knife crime is a scourge. Dealing in drugs is a nasty, unpleasant crime. It’s a scourge in society.”
Demeter, of Drill Street, Keighley, West Yorkshire, was given a two-year suspended custodial sentence, 300 hours’ unpaid work, a six-month electronically tagged monitoring order and 15 days’ rehabilitation. He will have to pay a £187 victims’ surcharge. The cash seized will be forfeited.
Recorder Worsley asked Demeter: “Will you put this nonsense behind you?” Demeter replied: “Yes.” Recorder Worsley warned him: “I will lock you up if you reoffend.”
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