A DRUNK Carlisle man arrested because of his aggressive behaviour after a football match was carrying 14 'deal ready' wraps of cocaine.

It was the second time that 26-year-old Dean Armstrong had come to the attention of the police for what seemed like minor offending – only for him to then land in serious trouble for drug dealing, the city’s crown court heard.

Those blunders this week earned him five-and-a-half years in jail.

He admitted two charges of possessing cocaine with intent to supply and an identical charge involving crack cocaine.

Prosecutor Brendan Burke said that the defendant, of Thomson Street, Carlisle, first came to the attention of the police on New Year’s Eve, 2020, when he was a passenger in a black Audi seen speeding in Botcherby.

“The defendant was the passenger, not the driver,” said Mr Burke. “As well as noticing the excessive speed, the officers could smell cannabis in the car and so conducted a search.

“They found £2,000 in this defendant’s back pocket.”

From the defendant’s trousers, the officers recovered 1.32g of cocaine, which was 82 per cent pure. A search of the defendant’s home yielded a further 19.3g of crack cocaine, and five smaller 'ready to deal' bags of the drug.

An analysis of Armstrong’s phone revealed text messages related to dealing cocaine, referred to as 'rocks.' Those messages suggested the existence of an 'established network' of customers.

Mr Burke then outlined how police found evidence of the defendant continuing deal drugs at the end of last month.

“Police were on football duty at the Carlisle Barrow game,” said the barrister.

“It was discovered that the defendant had a ticket for that game. He was seen in a scuffle, which the police didn’t regard as anything more than something to be shooed away.

“But he became extremely aggressive, and he was also extremely intoxicated and so he was arrested for being drunk and disorderly.”

When searched, Armstrong was found to be carrying 14 “deal ready” wraps of cocaine. At this address, police also found 9g of the drug, and scales with cocaine residue on them.

There was also a 'debtors’ list.'

In April 2021, the defendant had been given a jail term for possessing cocaine and ecstasy with intent to supply. Kim Whittlestone, for Armstrong, said that once the defendant was charged with the April offence, he “went off the rails” and “went back to his old ways.”

She said that before his arrest, he was working well with the Probation Service and making good progress.

In prison he had worked with the mental health team. “He knows he’s made a huge mistake but he wants children, a family life and employment,” said the barrister.

Judge Nicholas Barker jailed Armstrong for five-and-a-half years, telling him: “Money was clearly being made – a significant amount. Two thousand pounds was recovered from you.

"That offending was committed while you were on bail.”