A drug dealer who rammed a police vehicle has been given three months to turn his life around before being sentenced.
Leighton Finn-Gibbs told police he was being placed under pressure to sell the drugs on behalf of other people, Teesside Crown Court heard.
The 19-year-old was also on camera ramming a car into a police van after someone was spotted using a chainsaw to cut down a lamppost bearing a CCTV camera.
A subsequent raid of his girlfriend’s home resulted in the recovery of crack cocaine and cocaine.
Rachel Butt, prosecuting, said the teenager’s first offence happened in Albert Park, Middlesbrough, in October when he was spotted by police selling drugs.
She said: “He ran off but was soon found hiding behind a bush and he said to the officers – “I’m sorry, I am being exploited”.
“On the floor, police found 60 wraps of cocaine worth £600 and some cash. When he was searched, he was found to have £245 in cash and two mobile phones.”
She said one mobile showed a bulk message had been sent out offering drugs for sale and when he was interviewed by police, he told them he was being forced to sell the drugs.
Dealing with the second raft of offences, she said police were contacted that a male was cutting down a lamppost with a CCTV camera attached to it using a chainsaw on Saltersgill Avenue.
When police arrived, a car driven by the defendant was reversed at speed towards the police vehicle forcing it back around ten feet before he jumped across the front seats and tried to flee the scene.
The teenager’s third set of offences took place in January when police raided his girlfriend’s home where they recovered two wraps of cocaine worth £2,500, 123 grip bags of crack cocaine and mobile phones containing bulk messages.
Finn-Gibbs, of Selkirk Close, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to supplying crack cocaine in October last year and possession with intent to supply cocaine and crack cocaine in January this year.
The teenager was also due to be sentenced for dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified, driving without insurance and possession of cocaine from November last year.
Dan Cordey, mitigating, said his client had spent almost three months in custody since his arrest in January.
“This has been a severe wake up call to him,” he said. “The fact he has spent some time in custody is the test that he has grown up, that the court can have some confidence that he has.”
Judge Jonathan Carroll adjourned the sentence for three months to enable the teenager to turn his life around after having his ‘wake-up call’ while on remand.
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He said: “I accept that you have had an extremely challenging upbringing with challenges way beyond what any young person should have to cope with.
“These offences you accumulated are serious and it is shocking to hear of someone addicted to Class A drugs from the age of 13.
“You have not had many chances in life but I am willing to give you a chance.”
Finn-Gibbs will now be sentenced on June 27.
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