A hard-up ex-teacher turned to selling ketamine – and ran his own “very professionalised” enterprise – after finding himself in the “desperate situation” of having growing debts of more than £30,000. Father and grandfather Mark Pollard used ketamine to cope with his financial problems but it quickly “spiralled and spiralled and spiralled” out of control.
His ketamine operation had “professional hallmarks” but he fell foul of the police after being spotted in his car, Hull Crown Court heard. Pollard, 60, of west Hull, admitted possessing ketamine with intent to supply on January 14 last year.
Jane Rapin, prosecuting, said that plainclothes police in the Princes Avenue area at 3.15pm saw a Vauxhall Insignia car that was linked to Pollard, who was wanted in connection with suspected drug supply. He was arrested as he got out of the car and walked towards his home.
Three snapbags containing a white powder were found on him as well as two mobile phones. His home was searched and snapbags, white powder and cash in amounts of £2,490 and £40 were found.
Price lists and notes about customers, including the names of those who owed money, were found in his car. The total street value of the ketamine found was £5,360.
“It appears to be the defendant selling to people he knows,” said Miss Rapin. “He was buying to sell on. He had an expectation of significant financial advantage.”
During police interview, Pollard made no comment to all questions. He had a previous conviction for a driving matter in 2013 and cautions in 2008, 2015 and 2021, all non-drug matters.
Oliver Shipley, mitigating, said that Pollard was a teacher in a school between 1995 and 2011 but he later became a self-employed van man, with a number of jobs and contracts. He started missing payments on the leases for his van and the factory that he was renting from Hull City Council.
He was owed about £25,000 for work that he had done and he had, at the time of the offence, more than £30,000 of debt.
“He was in an awfully desperate situation,” said Mr Shipley. “He had never had debts like that before. He was struggling with his sleep significantly. He was at his wits’ end.”
A friend suggested that he used ketamine and he did so. “He gave it a go,” said Mr Shipley. “From there, it has just spiralled and spiralled and spiralled and he has found himself in the position were he is selling it. He still has those debts outstanding.”
Recorder Tony Watkin said that Pollard’s ketamine dealing operation had “professional hallmarks” and looked “very professionalised”. He chose to embark on a “reckless enterprise” of being a drug dealer but drugs were the “scourge” of society.
“It endangers us all through the risk of theft, through organised crime,” said Recorder Watkin. “We see it on our streets. You chose to contribute to that.”
Pollard was given an eight-month suspended prison sentence, a six-month electronically tagged monitoring order and 12 days’ rehabilitation. He was ordered to pay £150 costs and a £187 victims’ surcharge.
The £2,530 cash seized will be forfeited and given to the Space2BHeard project. A phone will also be forfeited.
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