Latest news with #heroin
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
The Pembrokeshire drug dealer who stashed 12 grams of heroin inside him
THIS is the face of a 'drug mule' who has been jailed after being caught with more than 12 grams of heroin stashed up his bum. Mark Briskham, 52, of Wavell Crescent in Pembroke Dock, was jailed for 16 months after admitting possession with intent to supply heroin and heroin possession. Sentencing him, Judge Geraint Walters said: 'Amongst all Class A drugs, this is the most harmful of them all. 'Engaging in the activity of supplying it has to be treated as a serious matter.' Swansea Crown Court heard that Briskham and another man drove to the Swansea area to pick up a quantity of diamorphine – heroin – at around 9.30am on June 8 last year. However, Briskham was stopped by police in Llanteg on his way back home that afternoon. No drugs were found in the car or on either of the men, prosecutor Caitlin Brazel said, so they were both taken to Withybush Hospital for a scan. The passenger's scan was negative, but Briskham then refused to be examined. He was taken to the police station and kept under supervision, until he asked to go to the toilet and expelled a package containing 12.7 grams of diamorphine from his rectum. A drug expert valued the heroin at £1,590 if sold in street deals. Briskham initially denied a charge of possession with intent to supply heroin, but admitted a charge of possession. However, he pleaded guilty on the morning of trial on a basis which was accepted by the prosecution. The defendant said he only wanted to buy seven grams of heroin for his own personal use. He had agreed to drive to pick the drugs up and bring them back, and would be supplied with seven grams out of the total haul when this was done. 'He's being used as a mule,' Judge Walters summarised. Mark Briskham was stopped by police whilst he had 12 grams of heroin stashed up his bum. (Image: Dyfed-Powys Police) 'There has been a significant gap in his offending,' said Jon Tarrant, in mitigation. 'In the last 17 years or so there has been very little which the defendant has troubled the court.' Mr Tarrant said Briskham contacted the health board about his addiction issues following his arrest, and was now drug-free. He said the defendant 'welcomed' his period in custody after pleading guilty, adding that it had been 'a bit of a wake-up call' for him. As he jailed Briskham, Judge Walters accused him of having 'played cat and mouse' with the police after initially refusing to be examined in hospital and then not pleading guilty to possession with intent until the morning of trial.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
I opened cupboard in new council flat and shower of 150 used ‘HEROIN' needles fell out – I'm worried my baby's infected
A MUM was left gobsmacked as a 'shower' of around 150 used "heroin" needles came flooding into her kitchen after a faulty cupboard was removed. Margaret Doyle has allegedly been told a 'junky' previously lived in her flat in Worcester and has slammed the housing association for not doing a proper sweep before she moved in with her baby daughter. 6 6 6 The 36-year-old told The Sun: 'In my opinion it must have been the biggest crack den around, honest to God. That's the only way to describe it. 'The cheek of putting me and my newborn child in here - they have no respect for me and my child.' Margaret and baby Maggie, now 14 months, moved into the Sanctuary property off Quay Street in the city centre in July last year. After the discovery, she fears her baby may have even touched a needle and is therefore at risk of infection. The mum described the flat as "disgusting", adding: "There was blood on the walls, there was blood on the roof. There wasn't floorboards, it was chipboard and there was stains all over it. "I can't describe how vile it was." Margaret, who previously lived in a refuge in Kidderminster before giving birth, said she was desperate to make it into a liveable home for her baby "so I started doing things up". Having been making do, she said in January the doors on the kitchen cupboards started to come loose. "I rang and rang Sanctuary and eventually they told me they'd be coming out on the second of July to fit new cupboards," she explained. Margaret said it seemed strange as she was told on moving in that a whole new kitchen had been fitted, she claims. I've transformed my horrendous council house & now I want to buy it - haters say I'm contributing to the housing crisis One of the cupboard doors was "getting heavier" as it got looser, she continued, adding: "I was slamming it hard and it was getting looser from the wall." Then on May 17, Margaret went to get her iron tablets from behind the microwave while she spoke to her mum on the phone when she made a shock discovery. Normally she would have blindly put her hand through the gap between the microwave and wall but said: "It must have been someone shining down on me - I didn't stick my hand in, this time I pulled out the microwave. "I was gobsmacked to see a needle right in front of me. I just thought I was seeing things for a minute." Margaret put the needle into a bag, though it penetrated her finger by "half an inch", and she called Sanctuary repeatedly before 10 days later they sent out two workers to investigate on Tuesday (May 27). They told her they could see more needles in the small gap between the cupboard and the wall. She said: "Two men came in and they said that they're in a very small gap in between the wall and the cupboard." "Oh, my god," said Margaret. "It was like raining an absolute shower of needles… there were spoons too." Oh, my god. It was like raining an absolute shower of needles… there were spoons too. Margaret DoyleSanctuary tenant The needles, some allegedly "half full of heroin", scattered over the worktop and floor. Margaret claims a gas man had previously warned her that a drug addict had lived in the flat before her. "He said 'I feel I have to tell you because you've got a baby," she said. "'There's a really bad junky that lived in this property before you.' "He said the whole place had to be swept for needles. Nobody told me nothing about it. "Obviously, I wasn't moving into a property that was a cleaned property because if it was 150 needles wouldn't fall through the wall." Margaret, who is also keen to move from her upstairs property into one on the ground so she doesn't have to carry the pram three flights, worsening her hip and back pains, has been using HomeSwapper to try and trade with other Sanctuary tenants. "Everyone I speak to on HomeSwapper doesn't want this place," she said. "It must have been for years. In my opinion it must have been the biggest crack den - honest to God, it had to have been. "That's the only way to describe it. The cheek of putting me and my newborn child in here - they have no respect for me and my child. "When they found all the needles I just burst out laughing. The said they put in a new kitchen - are they serious? "Do they think I'm that green that I'm actually going to believe them?" Margaret went on to say: "I can't describe to you how disgusting this place is. "There's still blood patches on the roof. It makes me sick. Where was the respect for me and my child who's never seen drugs in her life?" She thinks the previous tenant was, whilst "delusional" on drugs, throwing the needles over the top of the cupboard, leading to them falling down the gap and getting trapped. "It makes me feel disgusting and angry," she added. "The syringes are half full of heroin, blood, it turns my stomach. "Why didn't they put another junky in here instead of me?" A spokesperson for Sanctuary said: 'We can confirm that work to replace the kitchen units will be starting on Thursday 12 June and we will be speaking to Miss Doyle to ensure that any other concerns raised are addressed. 'We will also offer her further advice on how to apply for a new property and provide any support she needs through the application process.' Worcester City Council did not wish to comment when approached by The Sun. 6 6
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Students at Pittsburgh Dilworth PreK-5 found with heroin stamp bags
Pittsburgh Public Schools is asking parents to check their children's belongings after they learned about several students being in possession of stamp bags of heroin. The bags are stamped with the words 'Take Off' and were found in the possession of several Pittsburgh Dilworth PreK-5 students. PPS said Pittsburgh Police are trying to find out where the heroin came from and how students ended up with it. Pittsburgh Dilworth families are asked to check their children's belongings and to contact 911 if they find the illegal substance in their items. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
Irish Times
5 days ago
- General
- Irish Times
Garden centre owner and another man appear in court over €5.3m drug seizure
Two men aged in their 60s have appeared in court in connection with the seizure of heroin and cocaine valued at €5.3 million. Joseph Sherry (61), of Allagesh, Smithborough, Co Monaghan, and Matthew Farrell (63), of Lisagoan, Kingscourt, Co Cavan, appeared before Judge Eirinn McKiernan at a special sitting of Navan District Court on Thursday. The men are charged with unlawful possession of drugs and possession for sale or supply at a premises at Leggagh, Castletown, Navan, last May 27th. Mr Farrell, a garden centre owner, made no reply when charged, Detective Garda Paul Cullen told the court. READ MORE Detective Garda Ben McGarry gave evidence of having charged Mr Sherry, who made no reply. Judge McKiernan said she was refusing bail due to the seriousness of the charges. She remanded both in custody to appear by video link before Trim District Court on June 3rd.
CTV News
5 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Drug dealer faces house arrest for death of London woman
A drug dealer from Toronto has been sentenced in the death of his former girlfriend in London. Joshua Biernacki was sentenced 15 months of house arrest, three months of which are under a strict curfew, on Wednesday. Biernacki was initially charged with manslaughter in the death of Deborah Beer, who died of a heroin overdose in 2020. He was later convicted of a lesser charge for heroin trafficking.
