Derbyshire drug dealer stored thousands of pounds of cannabis in dad's house

Zak Dooley emerged from an outbuilding at an address in Pinxton just as police executed a drugs warrant on June 4, 2021, said prosecutor Lauren Fisher.

Officers found “significant amounts of different strains of cannabis” in the outbuilding, as well as more cannabis, bottles of THC liquid, grinders, scales and dealer bags in the house.

His mobile phone was analysed after he was arrested while driving a car which smelled of cannabis. Text messages relating to supply of cannabis, between April 27 and June 5, 2021, were uncovered. There were also references to the wholesale supply of cannabis in kilogrammes as well as lower level dealing.

Dooley’s father was initially charged with dealing as as well, before those charges were dropped, Ms Fisher added.

Nottingham Crown Court heard he has 12 previous convictions for 17 offences, which are mostly low-level offending and include class B drug possession from February 2020.

Almas Ben-Aribia, mitigating, said he was pressured into dealing after his house was burgled and his dog was stolen. She said he owed £6,000 and threats were made against his mum and sister “by people with machetes”. He has moved out of the area because of the pressures he faced,” she said. "He has stabilised his life."

She said the father-of-four has since abstained from cannabis and is now working for a friend's waste removal business and caring for his grandfather.

Dooley, aged 32, formerly of Park Lane, Pinxton, admitted possession with intent to supply cannabis when he appeared at crown courts in Nottingham and Derby in November 2022 and May 2023.

Judge Mark Watson told him he was involved in a “successful commercial venture” in which he weighed, packaged and sold the drugs.

He said the defendant has “a history of poor compliance with previous orders” but noted he has stayed out of trouble for two and a half years. He imposed a 21-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, with a 31-day thinking skills programme and 20 rehabilitation days.