At the city’s crown court, prosecutor Tim Evans outlined how the resulting investigation revealed that gym manager Wayne Messenger, 41, and his friend Paul Fearon, a 41-year-old former soldier, were supplying cocaine.

The men, both of Sewell Lane, Carlisle, were sentenced after they admitted possessing the drug with intent to supply.

Outlining the facts, Mr Evans said the offending came to light after police stopped Messenger’s BMW car on Durranhill Road at 7.45pm on October 30, 2020. Messenger was the driver and Fearon the passenger.

“The officers said they wanted to search the car and Mr Messenger appeared to be visibly shaken and nervous,” said Mr Evans.

In the central console of the car, said Mr Evans, the officers found what looked like two drinks containers – but in reality, they were being used to store drugs: 16 wraps of cocaine, and a bigger quantity of white powder, which was just over 20g of cocaine.

In total, following searches of the car and Messenger’s home, police found just under 80g of cocaine, half of it classed as “high purity,” with a total estimated street value of around £5,000.

Police also found just over £3,000 in cash.

There were also two mobile phones, one of which contained incriminating messages, including ones from people asking for prices of cocaine before and after mixing with an adulterant.

The evidence, said Mr Evans, pointed to Messenger playing the more significant role in the drug supply, given that it was his car which was involved, and he controlled the money.

Most of the cocaine and cash was found at his house.

'Cocaine ruins lives and it’s about to ruin yours'

Andrew Evans, for Messenger, said he was a man formerly of good character whose life had faced personal difficulties – initially the death of his mother following a battle with cancer and then the death of his grandparents.

“By 2017, he had addictions to alcohol and cocaine,” said Mr Evans.

“He chose not to confide in his partner or his employer; his view was that he was a man who would get on with it. What saved him was his relationship with his partner and in 2020 they were on an even keel.

“They had a house together, he was the general manager of a national chain gym, supervising 40 people, and they were planning for a wedding.

“Then came the impact of the pandemic.”

Messenger lost his job when the gym went into liquidation, and then his relationship foundered.

At a low ebb, he returned to using drink and drugs and in a state of “financial desperation”, he became involved in drugs supply.

It was a decision borne out of factors that included the loss of his career, said the barrister.

Cocaine, part of a pernicious trade, said the judge. (Image: Newsquest)

Messenger turned to dealing to fund his own drugs habit, said Mr Evans. But the defendant was getting himself back on to his feet and had been given back his old job after the gym was reopened under new ownership.

The Probation Service had assessed him as being at a “low risk of reoffending” and he felt remorse, having remarked that he had “dragged his family through hell.”

Brendan Burke, for Fearon, said the former solider with the 13th Air Assault Regiment had left the Army suffering from PTSD, having experienced the death of seven of his comrades.

He was medically discharged from the Army because an explosion “vaporised” his inner ear, said Mr Burke. 

He was in a vulnerable state and fell into using alcohol and cocaine. The evidence in the case, said Mr Burke, showed that Fearon played a lesser role, with no influence on the criminals higher up the supply chain.

The 6g of cocaine he had when arrested was consistent with Fearon being a “helper” and getting “scraps from the master’s table,” said the barrister.

“He has also taken his own steps with Recovery Steps to address his alcohol and drug problems,” added Mr Burke.

Recorder Julian Shaw told the defendants: “Cocaine ruins lives and it’s about to ruin yours. You are both adults, you are both intelligent, and you both should have known better.”

Addressing Messenger, the judge said it was a fact of life that people lose their parents and grandparents, but most deal with such bereavement without resorting to dealing Class A drugs.

He told Fearon: “Nobody in this court can ignore the service you have provided to your country; you should be proud of the contribution you made and the sacrifice you made." But that did not excuse or justify involvement in the drugs trade, which Recorder Shaw said was "pernicious."

“The trauma will live with you for the rest of your life for serving this country.”

Given the scale of the supply operation Messenger was involved in, the appropriate sentence was 40 months jail, said the judge.

His co-defendant's involvement was not as significant as Messenger’s, noted the judge, who suspended the two-year jail term he imposed because of Fearon's past military service and suffering this entailed.

Fearon’s sentence will include 250 hours of unpaid work and 20 rehabilitation activity days. His sentence is suspended for two years. Messenger will be eligible for release after serving half his sentence.