Mansfield cocaine dealer denied wrongdoing and told police he only had digital scales to avoid being ripped off

Liam Keogh was stopped by police acting on a tip off, at 8.20pm on July 4, 2024, Nottingham Crown Court was told.

He pulled a sock from his underwear which contained cash and wraps of cocaine amounting to 8.5 grams in weight and £600-£1,000 in value.

At his home, unused deal bags and digital scales were discovered and messages relating to the supply of controlled drugs were found on two mobile phones.

The amount of cocaine was too high purely for personal use and had been packaged into street-ready deals, the court was told.

Keogh, then 19, told officers he planned to go home to drink and take cocaine. He said he bought the class A drug in bulk because it was cheaper and he used it daily.

He explained the cash found comprised his Universal Credit, savings and profits from recently selling a car. And he claimed he used the scales to weigh his own drugs so he didn’t get ripped off.

Despite this, Keogh, now aged 21, of Nottingham Road, Mansfield, admitted possession with intent to supply cocaine when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court, on July 7.

Serena Varatharajah, mitigating, said Keogh, of previous good character, only played a lesser role and had no influence on other dealers further up the chain.

She said he was only 19 at the time and there had been a two-year delay before the case reached court.

His upbringing was in the care system and “it is likely he took longer to reach maturity than someone who came from a stable home,” she added.

Ms Varatharajah said Keogh’s studies were compromised and he “got mixed up with the wrong crowd.”

She said he now works as a social media freelancer and his acknowledgment of the impact drug dealing has demonstrated his genuine remorse.

On Wednesday, August 19, Recorder Anna Marie Trussler told Keogh although he was caught red-handed he deserved full credit for his guilty pleas.

She imposed a 12-month community order with six rehabilitation days and 80 hours of unpaid work. He was ordered to pay £150 costs. The confiscated cash will be donated to charity.