A drug dealing addict who vowed to turn his life around "to get my son back" was today spared jail.
Joshua Edge has been addicted to Class A drugs for a decade. During that time, the dad has been locked up for brutal domestic violence and slashing a girlfriend's pet dog.
But this morning the 29-year-old convinced a judge he was determined to get off heroin. And given the choice of prison or strict community-based orders, he opted for the latter.
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Liverpool Crown Court heard police stopped a black Ford Focus on East Prescot Road, at around 8.40pm on April 4, 2020. Edge was the front seat passenger.
Mark Phillips, prosecuting, said officers found two wraps of heroin, weighing 0.28g, and one wrap of cocaine, weighing 0.10g, with a total estimated value of £30, in the car.
Police also seized a mobile phone and £60 in cash. The phone contained texts "consistent with illicit drug supply".
Edge, of Goswell Street, Wavertree, gave a no comment interview. He was charged with two counts of possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply, two counts of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs, and possession of criminal property - the cash.
However, the Crown Prosecution Service accepted his guilty pleas to the two counts of possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply and dropped the other charges. They were ordered to lie on the file.
In a pre-sentence report, Edge said he was a drug user and forced to deal drugs "under pressure". Prosecutors accepted he used drugs, but not that he was under pressure.
However, Mr Phillips conceded the amount of drugs was not significant and he was not making a significant financial gain. He accepted Edge played a "lesser role".
Judge Anil Murray said if Julian Nutter, defending, wanted to assert his client acted under pressure he could have a Newton hearing - a form of mini trial where a judge establishes disputed facts. Mr Nutter said Edge did not wish to put at risk the 25% credit off his sentence he would receive for his guilty pleas.
Edge has 17 previous convictions for 29 offences - 15 of them for possessing drugs between 2012 and 2020, but none for drug supply. In 2015 he was convicted of causing grievous bodily harm and actual bodily harm after attacking an ex-partner, following a traumatic incident involving their son, who she accidentally rolled onto.
On Boxing Day 2020 he attacked a dog during an assault on another girlfriend. He used a kitchen knife to slash nine-year-old West Highland Terrier Alfie to the neck when he started barking.
Edge had already split his partner's head open with a piece of gym equipment and later punched and kicked her during a booze-fuelled row. Alfie recovered after emergency treatment.
Edge was jailed for six months in January 2021. On his release that March, he was sentenced to a 20-day tagged curfew for breaching licence requirements.
Mr Nutter said the drug dealing was two years ago, when Edge was addicted to drugs. He said: "He wants to come off drugs and he wants to get his son back."
He said Edge was now on a methadone prescription in prison and reducing it by 5ml per week. Mr Nutter said: "He had been involved in drugs for many years as a victim of other street dealers."
Mr Nutter said Judge Murray was more likely to be persuaded by hearing from Edge directly. He invited him to give evidence over video link from HMP Liverpool.
Edge said in March 2021 he left a home he was required to live at because a woman he stayed with "kept bringing people back to the house, they were threatening me and they took my mobile phone". He said: "I was in fear."
Edge said he lived "on the streets" until he was arrested and taken into custody. He said he had since attended drug programmes with Change Grow Live in jail; reduced his methadone script from 40ml to 25ml; and, if released, would go to Liverpool charity We Are With You to get a "heroin blocker" injection monthly "so I cannot use heroin".
Mr Nutter said: "What's driving you to do this?" Edge said: "I want to get my son back - contact with my son."
Edge confirmed he previously had a son who died. Mr Nutter said: "You very much want to see your new son?" "Yes," Edge replied.
Mr Nutter suggested there was a "realistic prospect of rehabilitation". He urged the judge to spare Edge jail.
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Judge Murray said possessing three wraps of drugs "ordinarily would not result in this type of charge" and he took no account of the texts. He said: "It's difficult to imagine a case like this with less drugs involved."
The judge said: "I heard you give evidence - I've been impressed by that. On paper you don't look like a good prospect for rehabilitation, but having heard you, I'm going to give you a chance."
Judge Murray handed him 18 months in jail, suspended for two years. He imposed a Thinking Skills Programme, 30-day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement, 12-month Drug Rehabilitation Requirement and 150 hours of unpaid work.
He said: "That's a lot of things. I'm going to give you a chance now to say whether you would rather I gave you the 18 months."
"No," Edge replied. Judge Murray said: "I take it you're going to do this?" "Yes," Edge vowed.
Judge Murray reserved any breaches of the suspended sentence to himself. He said: "The first time I see you, if you breach this, or come back with new offences, I will activate this."
The judge added: "You must contact Mr Nutter to thank him from the bottom of your heart, because he's just saved you from immediate imprisonment."
