London dealer who ran drugs into Colchester has sentence increased

Hazan Ajimobi, 24, was jailed for five years after officers seized a loaded handgun from his London home in December last year.

Police also found a small lockbox containing 50 rounds of ammunition, a drug line phone, £6,000 in cash, a metal knuckleduster and cannabis.

Ipswich Crown Court heard Ajimobi had agreed to hold and operate the phone, running Class A drugs from London into Colchester.

The name associated with the line, ‘Real Max’, was attributed to the defendant and messages sent out to users between September and December last year.

The court heard bulk advertising messages were sent out to 40 recipients, with some messages asking: “Does anyone want work?”.

Through the phone the police traced Ajimobi to his home address in Cann Hall Road, London.

Hazan Ajimobi (Image: Essex Police)

Ajimobi admitted two counts of possession of a Class A drug with intent to supply, possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition and possession of a Class B drug.

Charles Drinnan, mitigating, said his client committed the offences to “satiate an unhealthy interest in firearms”.

“The reason why he got into this enterprise was to pay for this firearm, to be used in recreational target practice,” he said.

“He agrees to work for ‘Max’ and hold and operate the ‘Max’ line wholly on his instruction.”

Mr Drinnan said Ajimobi was paid £50 per day and worked to reduce his debt for purchasing the handgun.

He said his client “holds his head high in remorse”, adding: “He is an educated man, someone who has made an incredibly naïve, stupid and immature decision.

“It beggars belief that he, as a result of his stupidity, thought it was a good way to purchase an item he shouldn’t have been purchasing in the first place.”

• READ MORE: Colchester dealer held drugs phone 'in exchange for handgun'

Sentencing judge Recorder Richard Atchley said: “My real concern, as I’ve said to counsel already, is that you go to work for a drug dealer in a county lines situation in order to purchase from a drug dealer not just a handgun, but a handgun and ammunition.

“You can see what any member of the public would think about that, I’m sure.

“You’re an intelligent young man and I struggle to see what you were doing here, as do your family.

“You have some minor previous convictions, including one for possessing an offensive weapon, but I don’t hold those against you, they were some time ago and were in a very different category to these.”

He added: “These are very serious offences involving the supply of Class A drugs, possession of a firearm and ammunition – a serious combination of county line drug dealing and the firearm.

“I take the view there is also a necessary deterrent factor in this case. People can’t be seen to be drug dealing and in possession of firearms.”

Ajimobi’s five-year sentence was referred to the Court of Appeal under the unduly lenient sentence scheme.

The Court of Appeal found the sentence to be unduly lenient and increased it to seven years and six months imprisonment.

Speaking after the hearing, then Solicitor General Edward Timpson MP said: “The public rightly expect those who possess loaded firearms and supply class A drugs to go to prison for a long time.”