Talented footballer supplied golf ball-sized amounts of cocaine to pay off debt – Nottinghamshire Live

A dealer supplied golf ball-sized amounts of cocaine to pay off a debt.

Dexter Atkinson pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine with intent to supply, and supplying a quantity of cocaine to another between January 1, 2019, and August 29, 2019. when he appeared at Nottingham Crown Court.

The 23-year-old, of Gibbons Avenue, Stapleford,

Charges were brought when police searched the 23-year-old's address, in Gibbons Avenue, Stapleford, and found varying amounts of cocaine, including five golf ball-sized amounts worth between 3,000 and 5,000.

Two sets of scales had the presence of cocaine, there were dealer's lists, deal bags and 1,700 in a bedroom.

Jeremy Janes, mitigating, said Atkinson, who had no previous convictions, "comes from a loving, supportive family" and "has a real talent for football".

He said Atkinson had worked as part of a project to steer others away from the path he was to "ultimately take".

In 2018, Atkinson had been charged with unlawful wounding - a serious allegation that he stabbed another person in Stapleford, added Mr Janes.

He was electronically tagged for more than a year when, one month before the trial, the prosecution reviewed the evidence and concluded it was insufficient against him.

No evidence was offered against Atkinson last autumn.

"Because of the tag, he was unable to do the work he had done before," said Mr Janes.

"He fitted and sold tyres and did window cleaning but it was difficult".

He turned to temptation and, in one sense, easy money, said Mr Janes, and was supplying cocaine in the golf ball size to try and pay off a debt for a different sort of drug.

Judge Timothy Spencer QC told Atkinson: "You have lost your good character in a spectacular way".

He was jailed for two years and ten months.

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Talented footballer supplied golf ball-sized amounts of cocaine to pay off debt - Nottinghamshire Live