An idealistic young drug dealer became fascinated by what he saw on Snapchat and dreamed of making £1,000 a week – and enjoying a “lucrative lifestyle” – from selling heroin and crack cocaine on the streets.
Nathan Goodwin liked the idea of what he saw and heard in the Snapchat videos and thought that he would be earning a good “wage” from drug dealing. He had an “expectation of significant financial reward” and hoped that it would be a way out of “financial hardship” for his family, Hull Crown Court heard.
Goodwin, 20, formerly of Lomond Road, off Spring Bank West, Hull, admitted possessing heroin with intent to supply and possessing £2,900 cash as criminal property on June 14. He also admitted possessing heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply on July 8.
Ben Hammersley, prosecuting, said that police went to a house in Brazil Street, off Holderness Road, east Hull, on an unrelated matter. They stopped Goodwin before he could leave but he gave a false name. Plastic bags, scales, a zombie knife and a machete were found. Goodwin had £2,900 cash on him.
He told police: “I’m clean. I don’t take drugs.” Officers found 3.5g of heroin, valued at nearly £1,000. Messages on a mobile phone indicated that he had been involved in drug dealing directly to users.
The second set of offences came to light after Goodwin had been released on bail. Police saw hand-to-hand drug exchanges with known users in Newland Avenue. Goodwin was arrested and he told police: “You won’t find anything on me.”
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Officers found 16 wraps of heroin and 10 wraps of crack cocaine, valued at £260, in a bag. A phone was seized and it contained messages indicating drug dealing.
Holly Thompson, mitigating, said that Goodwin was immature and acted very much out of character. He had no previous convictions.
Goodwin initially became involved throughout Snapchat when older males showed him the “prospect of a lucrative lifestyle” through drug dealing. His family was in financial hardship at the time and he was initially going to give money to his mother but she asked him to leave her home.
The second set of offences happened when he moved to a house with other drug users and was using heroin and mainly crack cocaine. “He didn’t see a way out of this cycle,” said Miss Thompson.
“It was limited to meeting his own habit. He has expressed clear and genuine remorse for the situation that he has found himself in.
“It has given him the wake-up call that, at 19, he so needed. Since being remanded in custody since July 9, he has stayed away from all substances.”
Judge Alexander Menary said that Goodwin was initially “groomed” by others on Snapchat with the promise of significant financial reward. “You hoped to make £1,000 a week selling drugs,” said Judge Menary.
“That was going to be your wage. There was an expectation of significant financial reward. Selling drugs would be your wage and, secondly, you were paying off a debt that you had accrued. You must have had some awareness and expectation of the scale of the operation.”
Goodwin was sent to a young offenders’ institution for three years and four months. The cash seized will be forfeited.