Street level drug dealer caught red handed is jailed for two years

Niall Waterkamp from Moss Park in the Galliagh area of the city pleaded guilty to being concerned in supplying cocaine, ecstasy, cannabis, diazepam and ‘Xanax’.

Judge Philip Babington said 28-year-old Waterkamp was effectively caught red-handed when details of his drugs offences were found in the form of text messages on his mobile ‘phones.

Waterkamp, who committed the five offences over an eighteen month period starting in May 2017, had fifty-three previous criminal convictions, ten of them for public order offences, two for serious assaults and three for drugs offences.

He was caught when the police called at his home in June 2018 and arrested him for other matters.

His mobile ‘phone was seized and triaged and on it the police found a trail of drugs -related text messages.

The mobile ‘phone was subjected to further examinations by the police in October 2018.

As a result of further drugs related text messages being found, the police searched his home and found two more mobile ‘phones which contained similar text messages.

When he was arrested for the drugs offences Waterkamp admitted his involvement.

Judge Babington said Waterkamp was heavily involved as a street level drugs dealer.

He said the text traffic found on Waterkamp’s mobile ‘phones proved he was both sourcing and supplying the drugs.

A pre-sentence report described Waterkamp as being a high likelihood re-offender, a risk taker and a drugs dealer who lacked victim awareness.

Jailing Waterkamp for two years, Judge Babington said he found it disturbing that Waterkamp did not consider the impact his offending had on the local community.