Drug dealer's sentence appeal rejected

Ryan Robinson. Picture courtesy of Greater Manchester Police

A drug dealer from Oldham who admitted flooding the town with crack cocaine and heroin over the course of an 18-month period has had his appeal to shorten his sentence in prison rejected.

Twenty-nine-year old Ryan Robinson, of Moor Street in Shaw, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply the drugs up to February last year and was sent to prison for six and a half years in May, 2017.

However, he felt the length of time he would be spending in jail was too harsh and appealed to the Court of Appeal to have it reduced.

At a hearing yesterday (Tuesday), three judges rejected his appeal claiming it was deserved for serious drug dealing.

Police, who investigated the case, said one phone, of which Robinson was in charge of, was used for 55,000 calls and 27,000 texts, suggesting thousands of deals took place.

Many of the text messages went to a group of more than 100 contacts, offering to supply Class A drugs.

When phones were seized from known drug users it was Robinson’s number which was often among their contacts.

Mrs Justice McGowan, who sat on the appeal alongside Lady Justice Hallett and Judge Anthony Leonard QC, said: “This was a commercial enterprise within which cars were hired and individuals were directed to take drugs and sell them to drug users,” she continued.

“The telephone, which was consistently under the control of Robinson, was the central feature of this organisation.

“That showed group texts being sent to hundreds of dealers and users inviting them to make contact in order to purchase drugs.

“There is nothing in the term imposed which is wrong in principle or manifestly excessive. This appeal must be dismissed.”