South Shields drug dealer caught with heroin in kinder egg

Officers found the class A drug stash when they attended David Burn's home with a search warrant in March 2018.

Newcastle Crown Court heard they also found 58 diazepam tablets and 5g of cannabis during the planned search.

Prosecutor Barry Robson told the court: "A search warrant was executed at the defendant's home in Alnwick Road, South Shields. The defendant and his mother were in the address at the time.

"A Kinder Egg was found in one of his trouser pockets and contained 11 wraps of heroin."

The court heard the total amount of heroin contained in the toy egg was 2.47g.

Mr Robson said Burn's phone was also seized during the raid and added: "Messages on the phone showed buying and selling of drugs within a small group who he had placed trust."

Burn, 38, now of Ryton Court, South Shields, pleaded guilty to possessing heroin with intent to supply and possessing diazepam and cannabis.

He also admitted failing to surrender after not attending court between June 2020 and March 2021.

Mr Robson said in a basis of plea, Burn said he was dependent on illicit drugs at the time and added: "He accepts, on occasion, he would supply other close associates, who were also dependent on heroin, with heroin.

"He would do this on an ad-hoc basis, to fund his own habit."

Nicholas Lane, defending, said Burn was "not dealing indiscriminately into the wider community" but would supply to other addicts on a selective basis.

Mr Lane said Burn had started to rely on illicit substances to deal with grief after his father was murdered and his brother died.

Mr Lane said Burn, who has a supportive partner, is now committed to complying with work to combat his substance abuse.

Mr Recorder Shakil Najib sentenced Burn to 32 months behind bars.The judge told him: "You have been a heroin user yourself for quite some time but you began to supply heroin to others.

"That is a serious offence for which a sentence of imprisonment is inevitable."

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