Drugs man freed to continue treatment

Cooper, of Waiblingen Way, Devizes, was told at his last court appearance that he would almost certainly be sent to jail for a long period if he breached the order imposed for selling heroin and crack cocaine from his home.

But after hearing how Cooper failed to turn up for a session just three months after being put on the order, a Swindon Crown Court judge last Friday said he would allow the order to continue. Judge Charles Wade had been told the breach came after Cooper had completed the residential part of the order, during which he was caught having used cannabis.

Mark Ashley, for the probation service, said the 12-month order was imposed in early February and he missed the appointment on May 30.

At the hearing in February, the crown court heard how Cooper was caught as part of the Operation Ardent drugs blitz in Devizes.

As part of the covert operation, an undercover police officer approached Cooper in the exercise yard at Melksham Police Station.

The officer talked to the 20 year-old about drugs and Cooper said he could help him get drugs.

In July, the officer and a woman colleague went to Waiblingen Way and Cooper sold them heroin and crack cocaine.

The court was told that the woman officer was left looking after one of Cooper's children while he supplied the male officer with the drugs.

They met again a few weeks later when Cooper again supplied the officers with drugs.

Cooper pleaded guilty to four counts of offering to supply class A drugs, one of supply and two of being concerned in the supply.

Peter Codner, defending, said his client had been in prison on remand for five months and during that time had got off drugs completely.

He said: "He is very determined for himself and for his partner and daughter to stay off heroin. He sees the misery it causes for his family."

On Friday, after hearing about the one breach, Judge Wade, the judge who made the original order, decided to allow the order to continue.