Man caught with nearly 90 wraps of class A drugs was 'naive' and 'exploited' by County Lines dealers
A young man caught with class A drugs in his waistband and a phone with messages advertising "flake" has avoided jail after a court heard he was dealing because he was "desperate" and felt he had "no other option".
Alex Caldwell, now aged 20, had been lured into drug dealing with promises of accommodation when he was living on the streets of Shrewsbury, the town's crown court heard on Wednesday.
He was spotted by police on July 22 last year on a footpath in Shrewsbury which officers knew was frequented by drug dealers and users.
When police went to arrest him he tried to run but they soon apprehended him, and upon searching him found dozens of wraps of heroin and crack cocaine.
Prosecuting, Mr John Oates told the court: "Officers were in Reabrook and saw a man who they recognised as a drug user, walking towards a footpath which the officers knew had been identified as a meeting point for County Lines drug dealing."
The path was used by dealers on the 'Scouse Pez' County Lines drug dealing network, he said.
"The defendant walked into the footpath and then came back a short while later."
The officers went to speak to Caldwell, he ran and they apprehended him after a short pursuit.
A search of his person found 46 wraps of heroin in his waistband totalling 5.25 grams, worth about £460, and 41 wraps of crack cocaine totalling 3.85g, worth about £410.
