Dealer working from Clacton Premier Inn jailed for three years

Michael Kadiri, 23, claimed he travelled to a Premier Inn Hotel, in Clacton, from London after running up a debt to drug dealers.

He was to use a hotel room as a base for peddling Class A drugs.

Matthew Bagnall, prosecuting, told a hearing at Ipswich Crown Court police were called to the hotel after staff found a man “comatose” on a bed surrounded by white powder.

Officers arrived at the hotel and headed towards the stairs, crossing paths with Kadiri, who was carrying a small, black holdall bag.

When he was told he would be searched, he responded: “I’m going to tell you something, I do have something on me”.

Officers found 48 wraps of crack cocaine worth £480, five grams of cocaine worth £500 and 62 wraps of heroin worth £620.

Kadiri was also carrying £1,030 in cash, two burner-style phones and a set of scales.

One of the phones had a Sim-card for a recognised county line, a number used to take orders from customers.

Kadiri, of Coleman Street, Southend, admitted two counts of possession with intent to supply a class A drug, one count of possession of cannabis and possession of criminal property.

Michael Kadiri

He admitted the charges on the basis he had travelled to Clacton to sell drugs under duress, to pay off a debt incurred because of his own substance misuse.

Ciara McElvogue, mitigating, said her client had two young children and was previously a “hard-worker”, before losing his job in refuse collection.

“He lost that job and was using cocaine socially,” she said.

“Unfortunately he incurred a debt from that social misuse of cocaine, valued somewhere in the region of £1,500.”

The court heard Kadiri had received a visit at his home and was told the debt would increase the longer he did not pay.

She said: “The defendant was told if he didn’t make this “run” – in his words, that debt would continue to grow and his then partner would be visited while he was away from the house.

“He decided he had no option other than to do what he was told.”

Recorder Darren Reed said: “Selling illegal drugs spreads addiction and misery and young men like you get into debts as a result.”

Jailing Kadiri for three years, he told the defendant if he hadn’t bought drugs in the first place “he wouldn’t be here”.