Jail for Derbyshire drug dealer who had customers pay directly into bank account

Liam Kirkland was stopped by police on August 12, 2021, while driving a car that police had under obseration, prosecutor Alexander Wilson told Derby Crown Court.

Searches of his car and home uncovered cocaine in dealer bags, valued at between £1,320 and over £3,000, depending on the purity, as well as £740 of cannabis.

His mobile phone showed evidence of dealing and Kirkland, aged 29, gave a no-comment interview at the police station.

He has 23 previous convictions for 47 offences, dating back to 2008 for minor matters that increased in serious to non-dwelling burglary and aggravated vehicle-taking.

He received a five-year jail sentence for robbery, in 2015, and was most recently convicted of battery and criminal damage.

Mr Wilson said a Proceeds of Crime Act timetable was in place and asked for the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs.

He said Kirkland deserved full credit for his guilty plea to possessing cannabis with intent to supply in the magistrates court, but only admitted the cocaine dealing at the crown court.

The cocaine offence has a four and a half year starting point, Mr Wilson told the court.

Simon Stevens, mitigating, said Kirkland was ‘not a sophisticated dealer’ as his customers paid directly into his bank account which made ‘quite easy steps for the police to follow’.

He said the defendant’s ‘unenviable record’ started as a youth and at the time of these offences had fallen out with the mother of his youngest child.

“He was homeless and he fell back into class A drugs use himself,” said Mr Stevens. "He was feeding his own habit and it spiralled out of control.

“He has spent two years waiting to learn his fate. He is no longer using drugs and has committed no further offences.”

Given the passage of time he asked Recorder Sarah McKeown to consider ‘a lengthy suspended sentence’ and added: “He has thrown himself at the mercy of the courts this morning your honour.”

On Wednesday, the judge sentenced Kirkland, of Peveril Road, Bolsover, to three years in prison.