A dangerous driving drug dealer who resorted to selling cocaine in order to pay off his own drug debt has been put behind bars.
Richard Burnham was found in possession of bags of cocaine and wads of cash when police carried out two raids on addresses in 2019. The 23-year-old then moved out of the area, but was back in trouble with police last year after he was seen driving an Audi with a person on the bonnet.
Then, in February this year, he was involved in a high-speed car chase that saw him driving dangerously and undercutting other motorists before he ditched the car and was found hiding in woodland. When arrested, bags of cocaine were found in the area he was hiding and he was in possession of a stolen driving licence.
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On Friday, Burnham, of Iona Road, Gateshead, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court, via link from HMP Durham, to be sentenced for charges of possession of cocaine with intent to supply and driving offences. He had pleaded guilty to the charges at a previous hearing.
Barry Robson, prosecuting, said on April 4 2019, a police raid was carried out at an address where Burnham was living and he was found hiding behind bins in a back yard. A bag of cocaine was found in his pocket and more was found in the kitchen, along with cash in a jacket. In total, £1,442.35 of cash was found at the address, alongside three mobile phones and scales. It is estimated that the cocaine could have had a street value of up to £900, but Burnham claimed it was for personal use and he was released under investigation.
But months later, in December 2019, Burnham - who was on benefits at the time - was again found at another address that was raided by the police. Mr Robson said: "The defendant was one of two occupants and he became violent and tried to headbutt one officer. He then calmed down and in the kitchen two mugs were found, one contained white powder, the other contained £970 cash. A further £495 cash was also found." The white powder that was found was cocaine which could have had a potential street value of up to £1,400.
Mr Robson said Burnham - who only has a provisional driving licence - was next in trouble with the police on October 3, last year, when a witness videoed him driving an Audi A3 in Gateshead with a person on the bonnet. He was again involved in another dangerous driving incident on February 6, this year. He was caught driving a Seat Leon dangerously in Newcastle and was undercutting other motorists at speed and went through red lights.
He even continued driving on during the police pursuit despite driving over a stinger before he abandoned the car and hid in a wooded area. He was soon arrested and was found in possession of another person's driving licence, £885 cash, and three bags of cocaine were found in the area he'd been hiding. Mr Robson said the cocaine was potentially worth around £3,700.
Shaun Routledge, defending Burnham, who had 16 previous convictions for 31 offences, said he entered early guilty pleas and began the drug offending after he got himself into a drugs debt. Finding himself under "pressure and panic", he began selling cocaine to pay it off. Mr Routledge also said Burnham's mental health was impacted after his cell mate in HMP Durham slit his own throat and he was left in the cell with him for seven hours. He added that while in prison, he has since found a job working in the kitchen.
Sentencing Burnham, Recorder Kama Melly QC jailed him for four years and banned him from driving for two years, which will begin when he is released from prison.
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