A drug dealer who peddled crack cocaine and heroin from a user’s house has been sent down as the woman was spared prison for allowing it to take place in her home address.
Police raided the property on Milton Road in Widnes town centre on June 9 after receiving “intelligence”. Nardeen Nemat, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday that once inside, officers saw Dean Gorst, 31, of Dignum Mead, Liverpool, standing behind the sofa and the tenant Leanne Beneke, 32, who ran into the kitchen.
A search uncovered 46 wraps of crack cocaine worth £10 each and 56 of heroin of the same value. These were spread among “bake boxes” on the living room table, inside Gorst’s coat stashed under the sofa, and behind the sofa. Officers also seized two graft phones and £337 in cash.
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Two samurai swords found at the property didn’t result in any charges and did not belong to Gorst or Beneke.
An envelope was being used as a “tick list” and included a reference to Beneke as “B 4 3-1”, which Ms Nemat said referred to paying Beneke three wraps of one type of drug - either crack or heroin - and one of the other, per day for use of the property.
Flare messages on one phone showed how Gorst promoted his latest illicit stock, telling users: “On all day and on till late, and on at weekends till later.”
In interview with Cheshire Police officers, Gorst - who tested positive for heroin and crack after his arrest - claimed he had only been in the house for half an hour and was only there because a friend was “interested in getting with a girl” in the property and Gorst “wasn’t aware of any drugs”.
He said he received £900 a month in benefits and was registered blind and could see three or four metres ahead, adding he “smoked cannabis daily”.
Gorst had previous convictions including two for drug driving and possession with intent to supply Class B cannabis for which he received a community order in February and which was still in place when the drug raid took place.
Ms Nemat said there was no suggestion Gorst had been the person who had pressured Beneke to allow her house to sell drugs.
In interview, Beneke said she allowed her house to be used because she had been “threatened”, and “she had no choice” and “was fearful”.
Beneke said she ran away from officers because “she thought the address might have been getting petrol bombed”.
She confirmed she was paid in the form of four wraps a day.
Her only previous conviction was from 2018 for two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
Following the Milton Road bust, Gorst pleaded guilty at the first opportunity to two counts of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, namely crack cocaine and heroin.
Beneke admitted two counts of permitting premises to be used for the sale of Class A drugs crack and heroin.
Michael O’Brien, representing Gorst, said his client understood his best mitigation was his prompt guilty pleas, adding he was “selling drugs to which he was addicted” and “is not heavily convicted”.
He added Gorst suffered from anxiety and depression and was registered blind.
Mr O’Brien said: “He’s registered blind and when remanded in custody he found it very difficult.
“He didn’t have his prescription glasses, and now he has them his ability to cope in the custodial estate has significantly improved and he’s made some progress, he’s now a cleaner on the wing.”
Mark Lever, appearing for Beneke, said the 32-year-old was lightly convicted and “presents as being very nervous, very worried about what is going to happen today”.
He said Beneke was a “vulnerable individual” who “would like to get out of Widnes ” due to the risk people might “pick on her again”.
Describing why she opened her door to drug dealing, he said: “She had been threatened. She felt her life was in danger and members of her own family.
“She was allowing the house to be used for a short amount of time, two or three days.
“There’s reference to her being bullied all her life.
“What I would say is she’s vulnerable to the extent she has multiple health conditions.”
Mr Lever said probation had assessed her as having a realistic prospect of rehabilitation and recommended a community disposal.
Judge Denis Watson, QC, noted Beneke had declined a methadone script to quit drugs and instead had “decided to withdraw completely independently”.
There was some discussion whether she would attend probation appointments due to “social anxiety” but further feedback was sought to confirm attendance would be possible.
Judge Watson agreed to the forfeiture and destruction of the drugs and paraphernalia, and ordered the seized cash be donated to the Micah social justice charity.
He sentenced Gorst to three years behind bars, and Beneke to eight months in prison suspended for 18 months with 20 days on a rehabilitation activity requirement.
Sending down Gorst, he said: “You were not just someone dealing these but you yourself were a user.
“The tests on your arrest confirmed that you were doing this to finance in part your own habit, and your registered blindness, although not complete blindness, is something which is manageable when you have your glasses, which makes your situation more precarious and vulnerable but has led in recent time in custody to you doing good and positive work in custody in your case and the aggravating and mitigating features in effect balance each other out.”
Passing a suspended sentence for Beneke, the judge said he "accepted" she felt "pressured" but with this "falling short of duress".
Judge Watson said “I’m satisfied that you were not an enthusiastic participant in this, you were a reluctant participant.”
Gorst appeared via videolink for the hearing and Beneke in person.
The Milton Road address was a couple of hundred yards from Widnes Police Station which is situated on the same highway, albeit under the road name of Gerrard Street.
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