Deon Hartley-De-Roche has been jailed. Photo: Lincolnshire Police
A university student who was caught with crack-cocaine and heroin worth over £1,800 was jailed for 27 months on Wednesday.
Deon Hartley-De-Roche, 25, was visiting his girlfriend who attended the University of Lincoln when he was spotted getting out of a taxi near the Reindeer pub on the High Street.
Lincoln Crown Court heard officers decided to search Hartley-De-Roche after he went down an alleyway next to the pub shortly after midnight on May 11 last year.
Hartley-De-Roche told officers his correct name but falsely claimed he was from Loughborough and gave a wrong date of birth, the court was told.
Phil Howes, prosecuting, said officers found a golf ball sized package wrapped in clingfilm in the waistband of his trousers but Hartley-De-Roche ran away after taking off his hooded top.
More police were called to the scene and Hartley-De-Roche was found covered by a duvet, hiding under a desk in his girlfriend’s flat behind the Reindeer pub.
Mr Howes said officers carried out a further search and seized a number of drugs with a total street value of £1,870. Over £800 in cash was also recovered and a set of scales which contained brown residue.
Analysis of the drugs revealed there were nearly 12 grams of crack-cocaine valued at £1,200 and just under five grams of heroin worth £580.
A small amount of cannabis and eight further wraps of heroin worth £80 were also recovered.
Analysis of a phone seized from Hartley-De-Roche identified three possible drugs customers and one supplier, Mr Howes added.
Mr Howes said: “The total value of the drugs if sold in street deals was £1,870 but we do accept some would have been for his own use.”
Hartley-De-Roche, of Stavely Road, Wolverhampton, admitted two charges of possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply and one charge of possessing cannabis on May 11, 2018.
Leanne Summers, mitigating, told the court Hartley-De-Roche was a totally different person to the man arrested by police 18 months ago.
The court heard Hartley-De-Roche had enrolled at university in Wolverhampton and had successfully completed his first year.
Miss Summers said Hartley-De-Roche was also working part time in a warehouse around his studies and living with his girlfriend, who is now undertaking a Masters Degree at Wolverhampton University.
“At the time of the offence he was visiting his girlfriend who was then studying at the University of Lincoln,” Miss Summers said.
“He was struggling financially, his grandmother had been diagnosed with dementia and he had lost a friend in London.
“He began using drugs and borrowed £2,000 to pay back his debt.
“The evidence shows this was dealing to a very small number of people over just a couple of days.”
Passing sentence, Recorder Charles Falk said he accepted Hartley-De-Roche was a different man to the one arrested in 2018.
But the Recorder added: “You were clearly preparing drugs for sale.”
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Phase two of the works at Speakers’ Corner in Lincoln is well underway and expected to finish on schedule this summer.
Phase two, which began on Monday, January 11, will see existing paving upgraded, as well as new street furniture being installed.
It will follow the first phase which was completed and open to the public on December 22, with a new bench put in place around the existing London Plane tree, instead of the demolished kiosk.
Speakers Corner bench is in place, but closed off until phase two paving works are finished. | Photo: The Lincolnite
Site setup for phase two is complete, with workers on site currently digging out the existing hard paving standings at the Cornhill.
A large portion of the area has been fenced off while work takes place, leaving just two pedestrian strips on either side to access both the High Street and the Cornhill Quarter.
There is limited access in the area while works take place. | Photo: The Lincolnite
Despite the cold and wet weather throughout January, progress of the paving removal has not been affected.
This means that phase two works are still on course to be finished in summer this year.
It is hoped that once the area is completed, the walkways will blend in with those at Exchange Square, as well as utilising the space for events.
A look at how the finished development will look. | Illustration: City of Lincoln Council
Bin collections in Boston and in parts of East Lindsey will be suspended for the rest of the week due to COVID-related staff absences.
The collections will be suspended from Wednesday, January 27 as a number of East Lindsey District Council’s and Boston Borough Council’s waste crews either have coronavirus or are self-isolating.
Boston Borough Council and East Lindsey District Council said it is not a decision that has been taken lightly and it is necessary for the service to be suspended in some southern parts of the district until Monday, February 1.
From Monday, waste collections are expected to continue as normal.
Households impacted by the disruption can present any accumulated side waste in black refuse sacks alongside their black bins on their next scheduled bin collection.
The following areas are affected:
Boston
Friskney
Eastville
New Leake
Stickford
Coningsby (part)
Coningsby Moorside
Dalderby
Haltham
Mareham Le Fen
Moorby
N Bolingbroke
Revesby
Scrivelsby
Tumby
Tumby Moorside
Tumby Woodside
Wilksby
Wood Enderby
Carrington
Dogdyke
Frithville
Gypsey Bridge
New Bolingbroke
New York
Scrub Hill
Thornton Le Fen
Westville
Antons Gowt
Cowbridge
Fishtoft
Frithville
Langrick
Sibsey
East Keal
East Kirkby
Hagnaby
Keal Coates
Midville
Stickney
Toynton All Saints
West Keal
Victoria Burgess, Assistant Director for Operations at the council, said: “Over the past couple of days it has proved a real challenge to keep the service going with a number of rounds having not been completed due to staff absences.
“With more crews off again today we needed to take action now and suspending the service is the only realistic option available to us to keep everyone safe – something we’ve worked hard to avoid.
“Our workforce has done an amazing job over the past year and they’ve received much praise from the community and are grateful for your continued good wishes.”
Meanwhile, Lincolnshire County Council has agreed to extend their open days at the Household Recycling Centre on Bittern Way for the disposal of black-bagged general waste and recycling only.
The two extra days of opening are Wednesday and Thursday of this week and next, between the hours of 8am and 4pm.
Over 6,000 people living in and around the Scunthorpe have signed up to donate convalescent plasma after having coronavirus.
This comes as NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is appealing for more potential plasma donors ahead of an upcoming third trial.
Convalescent plasma is the antibody-rich plasma of people who’ve had coronavirus. This can be transfused into people who are struggling to develop their own immune response.
NHSBT wants more people in the area hitting the 28-day recovery mark to sign up.
Over 30 donations have so far been taken at the Scunthorpe donor centre at Berkeley House at Berkeley Business Centre on Doncaster Road, which opened in December last year.
People can register to donate online here and can donate 28 days after they’ve recovered from coronavirus.
The Lincolnshire centre is located at Berkeley House at Berkeley Business Centre on Doncaster Road in Scunthorpe. | Photo: NHSBT
NHSBT is collecting the plasma for new trials for older people or those with cancer to treat them early in the course of the infection.
Two earlier trials have now stopped for data analysis. The upcoming third trial’s focus will be on those with low immune systems and all donations are tested for COVID antibodies.
The NHS trials of convalescent plasma are the largest randomised controlled trials for this treatment of COVID-19.
Professor Dave Roberts, Associate Medical Director for Blood Donation at NHSBT, said: “More people than ever are now able to help – the time to donate is now.
“We especially need donations from people in Scunthorpe who’ve had hospital care. Men who had hospital care are around six times more likely to have the high antibody levels which might save lives.
“We have completed two trials and analysis is ongoing. We now need to collect plasma for further planned clinical studies. We’re particularly looking at high risk groups such as the elderly and people with cancer.
“Donations are vital to the ongoing lifesaving research, which gives us a better understanding of how we can best treat patients with COVID-19 and help prevent deaths in the future.”
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