for possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin

Twenty six year old Ricky Nickells, who is unemployed an dlives on the Upper Richmond Road, Putney, appeared at Kingston Crown Court on 17 May 2007 and was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment for Class A and Class C drug offences.

On Wednesday, 30 August 2006 at 1450 hours in Hayward Gardens, Putney, two police officers stopped a group of young men.  Ricky Nickells was taken to one side and informed he was to be searched.

He ran off and the officers followed him into Tildesley Road.  Following the route he took, the officers found a firearm on the ground.  They picked it up and chased him through the patio doors of a woman’s flat.

They heard the toilet flush, and Nickells burst out of the bathroom. He was stopped and arrested. Police later conducted a search of the bathroom and found a substantial amount of drugs.  Nickells was searched in custody and found to be in possession of Class A drugs and cannabis.

He pleaded not guilty to possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin, but was found guilty on 25 April 2007. He received four years for the supply of cocaine with the four years for heroin to run concurrent.

He pleaded guilty to possessing crack cocaine and heroin, and for possessing cannabis. He received two 12-month sentences for the Class A offences and two months for cannabis.  They will run concurrent to the four years.

He was found not guilty of possessing cannabis with intent to supply, possessing a firearm when prohibited and possessing a converted firearm without certificate.

Detective Constable Claire Samy, the investigating officer, said:

“The two response officers deserve the highest praise for chasing a drug dealer into an unknown venue.  Anyone could have been in there, but they controlled the scene and seized vital evidence.”

May 29, 2007