Dealer avoids time in prison

A drug dealer escaped being sent directly to prison because a judge told him he wouldn’t spend enough time behind bars.

Rahan Alam (26), of Park Road Oldham, was caught three times by police carrying bags of cannabis — twice while already on bail.

Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court was told that the offences were committed over a period of around two months, and each time, mobile phones were seized carrying text messages making it clear he was selling drugs.

Sentencing him, Judge Leslie Hull told him that if he passed a 12-month sentence he would be released within weeks because of the time he had already spent on remand, and subject to curfew.

He told him: “Dealing in cannabis is a most serious offence, which is aggravated on this occasion by your sheer persistence in street dealing while on bail.

He said: “I am going to deal with you in a more positive way, and one that holds a greater threat, because it will remain hanging over you.”

Alam, who pleaded guilty to three offences of possession of a controlled Class B drug with intent to supply and a further offence of affray, was sentenced to 24 weeks prison on each charge, to run concurrently, suspended for 12 months. He was also made subject of a supervision order for 12 months.

His brother Farhan (26), also of Park Road, was made subject of a six-month community order after pleading guilty to a single charge of possession of cannabis.

The court was told that Rahan Alam was first caught when police stopped a car he was driving in Werneth in March last year. Officers recovered more than 30 snap bags containing the drug.

On March 29, while on bail for that offence, he was caught again while sitting in a parked car outside Alexandra Park, Oldham, with his twin brother. Bags of cannabis were seized, along with mobile phones and £350 in cash.

While still on bail for both offences, he was caught a third time on May 5 when police stopped a Micra car he was driving in Middleton Road, Oldham. Bags of cannabis were again found in the vehicle.

The affray charge related to a later incident on August 7 when he was one of a group who went in cars to “sort out” a grievance with another group of men.

Jaime Hamilton, defending, said his client had turned to dealing in order to pay off drug debts, but he had turned his life around kept out of trouble since.