A FATHER-OF-TWO who guarded Class A drugs with a machete claimed he was doing it to provide for his children.
Reggie Pickton, 21, was found with 201 wraps of crack cocaine and heroin when police officers raided a flat in Marinor Court, Clacton.
Chelmsford Crown Court heard Pickton felt he was too “socially awkward” to attend appointments to claim benefits and so he turned to drugs instead.
Instead, the defendant opted to earn £700 a week holding Class A drugs and handling money involved with the county lines operation.
Pickton, of no fixed abode but known to frequent Colchester, admitted two counts of possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin.
Judge Christopher Morgan put him behind bars for two years and three months on Monday.
Daniel Jones, prosecuting, said police officers initially attended Marinor Court on September 29 to undertake a welfare check on a known drug user.
When they arrived they found Pickton, who was not known to the address, sitting on the sofa.
Mr Jones said: “The occupier of the flat claimed Pickton was her cousin but due to the vagueness of her answers, officers decided to search the defendant.
“That search revealed 285lbs [of Class A drugs] in the defendant’s tracksuit bottoms and on his iPhone officers saw some messages as to how much money was being held [£1,300].”
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As Pickton stood up, constables spotted a second iPhone which had been hidden underneath him and a “large machete” stashed under the sofa.
The court heard following his arrest, the 21-year-old handed over 104 wraps of heroin and 97 wraps of crack cocaine, weighing almost 30g in total.
Steven Levy, mitigating, said his client suffers from anxiety and, due to being “socially awkward”, he couldn’t face attending appointments to claim benefits.
“He couldn’t support his family, he couldn’t support his children and somebody said to him: ‘Here’s a chance to gain easy money’,” said Mr Levy.
“He was at a very low ebb in his life. He sought to provide for his children.
“He has found himself learning a very solitary lesson in relation to these matters.”
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