Drug dealer who refused to give police code to unlock his phone is sentenced

A drug dealer tried to outfox police by refusing to give the code to unlock his phone – but they still managed to access his device which was full of text messages relating to the supply of drugs. 

Plain clothes officers were on patrol in St Saviour’s Gardens, The Meadows, when they observed a number of suspected drug users gathering. 

Twenty-year-old Tyler Morgan approached the group and made exchanges with users. Money was observed to be exchanged. 

Morgan tried to run off when he was approached by officers, but he was quickly detained at the scene and found to have cash and mobile phones in his pockets following the incident on the morning of 14 December 2022.

Officers had previously stopped and searched Morgan in Kirkby Gardens, The Meadows, on 30 June 2022, and seized two phones from him which were suspected to have been used to facilitate drug dealing.

Despite Morgan withholding the code for one of the seized phones, officers managed to bypass it and uncovered a haul of incriminating text messages on it, linking him to the supply of illegal drugs.

When officers searched a property linked to Morgan, in Eugene Gardens, The Meadows, on 14 December 2022, they found equipment associated with drug dealing and large amounts of cash.

Cutting boards were found with traces of cocaine and the painkiller ‘Phenacetin’ - used to mix into drugs to increase volume.

Morgan, of Eugene Gardens, was subsequently charged. He went on to plead guilty to two counts of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs - namely diamorphine (heroin) and crack cocaine – between 31 May 2022 and 14 December 2022.

He also pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cannabis, a Class B drug, between the same dates.

Morgan was sentenced to two years in a young offenders' institution, suspended for two years, when he appeared at Nottingham Crown Court for sentencing on Tuesday (10 September).

He was also ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work and complete up to a maximum of 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

Inspector Steve Dalby, neighbourhood policing inspector for city south, said: “Cracking down on drug dealers and disrupting the illegal supply of drugs is a key priority across city south.

“Drug dealing and other drug-related crime are a genuine blight on our communities. Anyone involved in this type of criminality can expect a visit from my neighbourhood officers.

“We simply will not tolerate people dealing drugs on our streets. As a force we take drugs offences very seriously and will investigate reports made to us.

“We work closely with our local communities to tackle and disrupt drug crime and I’d urge anyone who has any concerns about drug dealing in their area to contact Nottinghamshire Police on 101 or alternatively call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. If it’s an emergency, dial 999.”