Former soldiers caught selling cocaine from car handed sentences totalling 38 months
Judge Patrick McGurgan told the pair their offending was 'so serious that only an immediate custodial sentence is appropriate'
Two former British soldiers who were selling cocaine from a car in Lisburn city centre were on Friday handed sentences totalling 38 months.
Jailing Harry Phillips and Ashkin Naim at Craigavon Crown Court, Judge Patrick McGurgan told the pair their offending was 'so serious that only an immediate custodial sentence is appropriate because of the need not just to punish you but also to deter others.'
While 25-year-old Philips was handed a 20 month sentence, Naim (27) was given an 18 month sentence and the judge ordered them to serve half those terms in jail and half on licence.
At an earlier hearing Phillips, with an address given as c/o Thiepval Barracks in Lisburn, admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine, possessing the class A drug with intend to supply and possessing criminal property, all committed on 1 August 2023.
Phillips also admitted a further charge of being concerned in the supply of cocaine between 17 July and 2 August 2023.
Harry Phillips
Naim, from the Stone Road in Middlesbrough but who was also a soldier at the time, entered guilty pleas to being concerned in the supply of the class A drug and possessing criminal property, namely cash.
In his sentencing remarks, Judge McGurgan said it was around 10pm when city centre CCTV alerted police to suspected drug dealing in the Graham Street area.
The footage recorded two men getting in to the back seat of a Ford Focus but getting back out a few moments later.
Philips was in the driver's seat and Naim was in the passenger seat with a 'large sum of cash' on his lap but Judge McGurgan said when police opened the driver's door, Naim immediately opened his door and fled the scene.
He took a flight back to England but he surrendered himself to police the following day.
Inside the car cops retrieved £495 in cash as well as 24.5 grams of cocaine separated into separate deal bags while in a Skoda parked behind the Ford, officers found Naim's military ID.
Judge McGurgan said when officers examined Philips' mobile phone, they uncovered messages where he claimed to have bought half a kilo of cocaine in London for £15,000 and that having transported it back to NI, he intended to sell it to double his money.
Indeed, before the judge passed the sentence Phillip.s defence counsel Conor Lunny had conceded that rather than being motivated to feed an addictions, the actions of the disgraced soldier 'came about by greed.'
Harry Phillips. Photo: Sunday Life
News in 90 Seconds - May 18th
Naim had entered guilty pleas on the basis that he was directing his co-accused to customers' addresses.
Judge McGurgan said given the fact that 'both of you are directly involved in selling the members of the public' in circumstances where drugs, and particularly class A drugs can cause 'untold misery,' the pair had to go to jail.
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