A FORMER teen cocaine dealer has been spared prison by a judge who heard of his impressive recent progress — and of the 'woeful' management of his criminal case by police.

Nathan Lamb, recently turned 20, was initially sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court last year for the supply of drugs during a period dating back to when he was aged just 15.

Police had seized phones — but no illegal substances — during a visit to his Highfield Avenue home in the city in October 2021. Analysis of these devices indicated the supply of both class A cocaine and class B cannabis dating back to 2020.

Lamb admitted being concerned in the supply of both drugs. In view of prompt guilty pleas and Lamb’s tender age, a judge imposed a community order comprising unpaid work and probation service rehabilitation requirement.

But the crown court heard today (Friday) that Lamb should also have been sentenced at that time for separate offending which occurred while he was under investigation by police for the earlier criminal conduct.

Prosecutor Andrew Evans said this came to light on October 18, 2022, when police officers were on patrol at Carlisle’s Rickerby Park.

Three males, including Lamb, were spotted inside a car with lights on in darkness at 11pm.

Lamb was a back seat passenger. “He tried to distance himself from a waterproof Gore-Tex coat by repeatedly asking to have a different coat provided to him during a search,” said Mr Evans.

In that waterproof jacket were 70 wraps of cocaine potentially worth almost £3,000. Evidence showed that the coat belonged to Lamb whose criminal role, said Mr Evans, was “street dealing”.

Also found during the search, in a “man bag”, was a quantity of cash and a lock knife.

Police had taken 18 months to process the first matter for which Lamb was sentenced last year. It had then taken almost two years for him to be brought to court for the second as officers waited many months for phone downloads.

Lamb promptly admitted possessing cocaine with intent to supply and illegal possession of a blade in public.

Judge Nicholas Barker opined that had Lamb been sentenced in May 2023 for all crimes together, he would have faced an immediate prison sentence of around 28 months. “It’s a commercial operation if you’ve got that much (cocaine) on you,” he concluded.

But since being punished, Lamb had turned his life around.

Defence barrister Anthony Parkinson said the community order “was as near to completion as it could be”, Lamb having “made the best of the opportunity he was given”.

Lamb was working full-time as a self-employed roofer, had a stable relationship and accommodation.

“He is not using drugs any more because of the help that probation have given him,” said Mr Parkinson.

“The history (of the case) is almost as bad as it gets, we would submit,” added the barrister.

“It would almost bring the judicial system into disrepute if he was sent to prison today.”

Judge Barker concluded that Lamb would now have been released from any prison sentence imposed last year had all matters been dealt with together.

“Through no fault of yours, the management of your case by the police and/or prosecution has been woeful,” said the judge.

He suspended a two-year prison sentence for 24 months and ordered Lamb to complete 200 hours’ unpaid work.