Man sentenced to prison for supplying cannabis

White was convicted for selling cannabis. Pic: verdusco 01

White was convicted for selling cannabis. Pic: verdusco 01

A man has been sentenced to a year in prison for dealing cannabis on the streets of Croydon.

At Croydon Crown Court, Rasheed White, 18, was sentenced to 12 months in prison last week after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to three counts of dealing cannabis.

He was arrested in December during raids carried out by 150 officers from the Metropolitan Police Trident gangs unit and City of London Police.

The raid followed complaints to police about open drug dealing on London Road and Darby Road in central Croydon. Police then conducted months of surveillance work before the raid.

Prosecuting, James Dawson emphasised the high risk of White falling back into drug dealing if he was not given a prison sentence.

Dawson suggested that in addition to a prison sentence he should be given a criminal behaviour order.

Defending, Sara Thorne told the court that White did not object to the criminal behaviour order. When he was in custody he realised he needed to change in order to take care of his child.

Thorne said: “He has certainly woken up to the reality and realised what will happen when you do things like this.”

Sentencing, Judge Stephen Waller said: “We have taken every consideration to steer you away from drugs.”

“I assess you as playing a significant role [in supplying drugs], driven by financial motives.”

The court heard that White had a number of previous convictions dating back to 2011, including a robbery and other drug related crimes but had never previously been in prison.

The five year criminal behaviour order bans White from entering the area of West Croydon where he supplied drugs. He is not allowed to associate with others arrested in the December raid and can only own one sim card.

During the raid, 12 other people were arrested and have been charged with drug dealing offences.

By Marthe Holkestad and Frida Meinking

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