A LOW-LEVEL local drug dealer who held a man against his will, accusing him of stealing some of his pills, has been branded as “dangerous” by a judge.

As John Stephen Pye is considered to pose a risk of committing further serious offences, Judge Jonathan Carroll passed an extended sentence for public protection, at Durham Crown Court.

The 46-year-old defendant, of Argent Street, Easington Colliery, was, therefore, given a prison term of seven years and eight months, with an extended licence period of two years and four months.

It means he must serve at least two-thirds of the custodial element of the sentence, about five years and two months, before he can be considered eligible for parole.

The sentence was imposed by Judge Carroll after Pye changed his plea to guilty to false imprisonment, which he previously denied at a hearing in March.

At that hearing the court was told the victim, who was said to have been detained and tethered to a sofa at Pye’s home for several hours on Thursday January 31, was not assisting in the prosecution and was not to have been among the Crown witnesses.

But other witnesses described having visited Pye’s home and seen the victim in various stages of undress, unconscious, still tethered to the sofa.

Pye claimed other people had a grudge against him, implying they may have been responsible.

But, on the day his trial was due to start, with the main witness present at court to give evidence, there was much behind the scenes discussion between prosecution counsel Robin Patton and Edward Moss, for Pye.

Eventually Mr Moss asked for the charge to be put again, and Pye pleaded guilty.

He was also sentenced having admitted charges of supplying the class A drug, cocaine, dating from June 19, and possessing the class C drug alprazolam, on August 1, both 2018.

Speaking after the case, Detective Constable David Nicholson, of Peterlee CID, said: “This was an horrific ordeal for the victim and we are pleased we have been able to bring this man to justice.

“Officers worked tirelessly to bring this case to court and we would like to thank those witnesses who came forward.

“We are happy that the sentence sends a message out that this type of behaviour is unacceptable.”