Drug dealer who was shot sentenced to combination order

Emmet Smith, 25, from Mimosa Court, was shot in the leg by one of three masked individuals who forced their way into his home on September 30.

As the result of the gunshot wound which he sustained to his right leg, Smith has continuing mobility issues.

Smith pleaded guilty to being concerned in supplying both cocaine and cannabis and to possessing the drugs along with the drug diazepam.

The offences were committed between September 2016 and February of this year, when quantities of the drugs were found at his then address in Lower Nassau Street.

Derry Crown Court heard that Smith’s offending was discovered when mobile phones belonging to other suspected drugs dealers were seized by police. The police found details of Smith’s offers to supply drugs on the phones and similar messages were found on a tablet seized by the police during their investigations.

Police searched Smith’s then Lower Nassau Street address and following the discovery of drugs and mobile phones he was arrested.

In his initial interview with the police Smith denied the offences.

However in a second interview twenty minutes later he admitted the drugs offences.

The 25-year-old told police he was dealing drugs in order to pay for his own addiction.

He told police he had a £2,000 drugs debt, but later told Probation it was a £5,000 debt.

Smith also claimed he never kept the drugs in his home, rather he hid them in a nearby field.

The court heard that Smith has been assessed as posing a high likelihood of re-offending

Passing sentence, Judge Philip Babington said that while the defence described Smith as a low level drugs dealer who did not live an extravagant lifestyle, he still contributed to “the vicious circle of drugs in this city”.

Judge Babington said while the offending had passed the custody threshold, he took into consideration Smith’s full admissions and the fact that he had already spent three months in custody on the charges.

He said that with some reluctance he was imposing an Enhanced Combination Order, the terms of which mean Smith will be on probation for the maximum period of three years.

The defendant will have to complete 100 hours of community service.

Judge Babington said the order was a strict enforcement regime and warned Smith if he breached any of the order’s terms he would be brought back to court and in all likelihood sent straight to jail.