Man jailed for collecting drug money

A judge yesterday warned that anyone bringing crack cocaine into Norfolk would be dealt with severely - after giving a man five years' custody.

Terence Mascoll-Hall, 20, travelled from London to King's Lynn as part of a conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin on the streets of Norfolk.

Mascoll-Hall, who himself was not a drug addict, is said to have helped collect the money from street deals and return the money to London.

Norwich Crown Court heard that when he was arrested £1,000 in cash was found in one of the rooms at a King's Lynn guest house which he had booked and paid for.

Mascoll-Hall, from Hornsey, admitted two offences of conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin in July last year.

Sentencing him to five years' youth custody, Judge Simon Barham said: "You came from London to King's Lynn together with other people."

He said Mascoll-Halls' role in collecting the cash was "significantly more important" than the street dealers, but he accepted there were others above him in the chain.

"Police in Norfolk have made considerable steps to ensure that those that bring in crack cocaine from outside are apprehended.

The judge warned: "Severe sentences are to be given to discourage people like you."

Lyndsay Hayhow, in mitigation, said he brought the drugs to Norfolk as he was in debt to drug dealers over cannabis he had used.

She said: "He was in over his head. He stupidly agreed to travel to King's Lynn out of London from where the drugs were supplied.

"He was to bring the money back in order to expunge the debt he had."

She said Mascoll-Hall had been stabbed while on bail because of the drug deal that had gone wrong and said his mother had had to move house. She also said since on remand he had put his time to good use to complete several courses.