A London drug dealer must now serve an immediate term of imprisonment following an intervention by the Solicitor General, Rt Hon Michael Ellis QC MP.
Amir Mohamed, 22, was arrested in December 2018 after being found in possession of Class A drugs. He had 36 individual knotted clear plastic packages containing a total of 3.00 grams of crack cocaine and 13 individual knotted clear plastic packages containing a total of 1.21 grams of heroin. He was also found to have on his person just over £150 in cash and a bag containing cannabis.
The offender was found guilty of two counts of possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply. On 5 October 2020, he was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment, suspended for 24 months, at Snaresbrook Crown Court.
Following the Court’s decision, the Solicitor General referred the sentence to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme. On 8 December the Court found the sentence to be unduly lenient and increased it to 3 years’ imprisonment.
After the hearing at the Court of Appeal the Solicitor General, Rt Hon Michael Ellis QC MP, said:
Heroin and cocaine are deadly substances pushed by unscrupulous dealers. The offender was carrying a significant amount of Class A drugs with the intention of selling them for profit. This trade is ravaging our communities, and today’s decision by the Court of Appeal is welcome and sends a message that a custodial sentence will ordinarily follow street dealing.