A mum discovered that her teenage son had been recruited to deal drugs when she checked his old phone.
Carl Ashall and Neil Swift put the boy to work selling cocaine and manning their graft phone in return for small sums of cash. He was left living in fear of reprisals from the two older men, whom he perceived as "dangerous" dealers.
Liverpool Crown Court heard today, Monday, that his mother discovered a string of text messages between her son and the two defendants on his old phone. Sarah Griffin, prosecuting, described how these communications revealed that Ashall and Swift had been using him to sell drugs over the course of several months, with the youngster subsequently confessing that he had first become involved after the latter had told him to hand over an unknown package in a car park.
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The boy said that he had been unaware of its contents at the time, but "knew something was not right" when he was handed £50 in cash in return. The following day, Swift asked him if he wanted to deal drugs for him and Ashall and he agreed to do so.
The teen was also given their drug dealing phone to look after on occasions. When he at one point told Swift that he "did not want to be involved any more", the 42-year-old convinced him to continue by telling him he would "only have to sell drugs for a few more nights".
The youth, who has not been charged with any criminal offence, also described having "felt he had no choice" as he believed Ashall was "dangerous". The 33-year-old - of Bickerstaffe Street in St Helens - instructed him to wait in a flat on one occasion for the delivery of a parcel containing "sleepers", or zopliclone.
He was said to have been "initially unhappy" about the boy's involvement due to his young age but went on to drop off drugs and the graft phone with him before returning to collect the proceeds of sales, giving him £10 for "staying on the phone". Swift later told the teenager that he and Ashall were "going to go into it big time with their own product and customers" - and while he "did not want to" be involved, he agreed to drop off packages to five people in exchange for money.
A statement read out to the court on the child's behalf described how he had been left "not able to trust any one" and "worried what will happen" if Swift and Ashall were to "get out of prison". He added: "I feel they may try to cause me harm."
Swift was arrested at his address on Hall Street in St Helens town centre on January 29, with police seizing £6,000 from him in £20 notes, while Ashall's home was also raided the same day. A search of the property revealed £570 in cash, a tick list, four mobile phones and a total of 52.3g of cocaine worth up to £3,885.
Kate Morley - defending Swift, who has one previous conviction for drink driving in 2005 - told the court: "His good character wasn't by sheer good luck. It was because Mr Swift had largely led a productive life.
"He has a degree in civil engineering and had a good job as a contracts manager, earning £65,000 per year. His mother and father passed away within the space of eight weeks.
"That had a significant impact on him. He began using cocaine heavily.
"It is difficult to fathom why it happened. He was in a bad way and he doesn't know why he ended in this state.
"It was a case of wanting to fit in and wanting to be involved in that world when he had no need to be. The fallout is something he is going to have to deal with for the rest of his life.
"The impact has been traumatic. He has learned his lesson, but of course it is up to him to prove that."
Ashall meanwhile has a previous conviction for possession of an air weapon in a public place in 2011. Rebecca Smith, appearing on his behalf, said the dad-of-two had become addicted to zopiclone following the death of his own father and lost his job during the covid pandemic.
She added: "He became somewhat of a recluse, isolating himself and spiralling into a deep depression. He sought to medicate himself with taking zopiclone.
"He was, on occasions, taking 25 to 30 tablets a day. He had no money.
"He came across someone he knew and was offered a way of providing an income to himself. It was an error of judgement which has landed him in custody.
"He describes himself as clean of his addiction. His family believe him being incarcerated may well have saved his life - he never wishes to return to this life."
Ashall admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine and possession of cocaine with intent to supply and was jailed for five years. Swift, who appeared in court via video link to HMP Liverpool, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and was imprisoned for three years.
Sentencing, Judge Neil Flewitt KC said: "You both became involved to different extents in this enterprise for similar reasons. It seem when not in the grip of that addiction, you were able to live constructive and contributive lives."
Both men were handed restraining orders preventing them from contacting the boy for three years. Ashall waved to his family in the public gallery from the dock as he was led down to the cells.
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