A dad-of-two who carried out voluntary work with disabled children at Manchester City Football Club was caught by undercover police officers dealing heroin and crack cocaine after his life took a 'downward spiral'.
George Downing, 27, was said until the Covid pandemic and the death of his father to be a 'wholly law-abiding member of the community' with no previous convictions.
A judge at Manchester Crown Court was told he performed voluntary work at the Etihad, working to draw up football training plans for children with disabilities until 2019, and also worked on a voluntary basis with children in his local community, helping to get them active and into sports.
But, said his defence barrister in court, his father's death in 2020 acted as a 'catalyst' and he began to drink and use cocaine due to depression. Downing hadn't used drugs before, but 'accrued a debt that he couldn't pay for', the court heard.
His counsel, Amanda Johnson, said: "Some degree of pressure was exerted on him to start dealing. He took the wrong decision in not seeking help from the authorities and started dealing."
Downing, of Yeoman Walk, Beswick, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs. He was jailed for 30 months at the hearing last week.
The court heard 'naive' Downing 'dealt sporadically' using his Seat Ibiza car and was given a Nokia mobile phone - into which he put his own registered SIM card which allowed police to easily trace it back to his address.
Craig MacGregor, prosecuting, said police launched an operation, codenamed Comanche, to target drug-dealing in north Manchester and two undercover officers were deployed to the Holt Town area, between New Islington and the Etihad Stadium, in September last year.
They spotted a person they believed was a drug user and asked them who they were waiting for. The person told the officers they were waiting for 'Beswick' and explained the dealer was called 'George', Mr MacGregor said. The person gave them 'George's' phone number and said he drove a Seat Ibiza.
The court heard the officers went on to witness an 'exchange'.
One of the officers then asked him for 'two dark and a white' - street slang for heroin and crack cocaine. The court heard Downing asked the officer to shout over another drug user and an 'exchange' was later done through her. A second deal was completed the day after.
Mr MacGregor said the undercover officers managed to get the 'Beswick drug line number' and bought drugs through the same line on three further occasions.
He said: "The phone that was used - the police did a check and it came back as George Downing's. The drug users used George Downing's full name and used his car details. The telephone went back to him."
Ms Johnson said on his behalf: "He bitterly regrets what he has done. He has learnt a harsh lesson. His remorse is genuine."
The judge, Recorder Carwyn Cox, said the offences spanned a period between August 31 last year and October 1. Downing was, said the judge, dealing drugs through the 'Beswick' phone line.
He said he had no previous convictions but served in a 'management function within the chain, although he noted his 'naivety'. Recorder Cox said 'tragedy' had 'struck' Downing's family, leading to what he called a 'downward spiral'.
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