Crime network brought down after South Shields dealer caught selling drugs to undercover police

Nessar Ali, who has now been jailed, began supplying the drugs to officers near the start of 2018 and kept doing so over a number of months.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that the amounts supplied gradually increased over time and that he had aspirations to grow his own dealing business in the future.

Prosecutor Michael Bunch said that Ali supplied street deals of cocaine to officers in South Tyneside on separate occasions in February, March, and April that year.

The court heard that on one occasion, he came equipped with a BB gun which was later recovered.

Mr Bunch said Ali produced the imitation firearm whilst in the vehicle with the officers who originally feared it was a form of pistol.

The court heard that the now 23-year-old had been part of a network which included Aaron Momat, Christopher Scurfield and Santino Welsh.

Ali had been in communication with his co-defendants relating to the supply of drugs and money, and when he was later arrested on August 23 he was found with several bags of cash and 15g of cocaine on him.

Ali, of Wallington Grove, South Shields, was convicted of being concerned in the supply of cocaine, having an imitation firearm with intent, possession with intent to supply MDMA and possession with intent to supply cocaine.

He also admitted affray and possession of a bladed article after he brandished a knife towards staff in a takeaway in South Shields.

Meanwhile Momat, 29, of Alice Street, South Shields was convicted of being concerned in the supply of cocaine and Scurfield, 42, of Rowland Street, Washington was found guilty after trial of supplying a class A drug.

Judge Amanda Rippon acknowledged that conditions in custody were tough due to restrictions from the pandemic.

Christopher Knox, for Scurfield, told the court he had carried out a range of good work in custody.

In Momat's mitigation, the court heard he had got himself off using cocaine and had since become a father.

However, the judge said that immediate custody was the only option and jailed Ali for a total of five years.

She told him: "You are 23 years of age, you were 19 at the time of these offences.

"I've heard your aspirations to grow and supply larger amounts but you were not dealing in significant amounts but you produced a weapon on one occasion."

Meanwhile Scurfield, who had a previous conviction against him, was sentenced to five years behind bars.

Momat, who had six previous convictions, was jailed for three-and-a-half years for his role in supplying the drugs.

Welsh, 28, of Harbour View, South Shields, is due to be sentenced at a later date.