A TEENAGER was sentenced to 40 months in a young offenders’ institute for his role in supplying drugs in Bridport.

Darnell Palmer, 19 from London, pleaded guilty to drugs offences that occurred on three separate dates in September 2015.

The court was told how Palmer made regular trips between London and Bridport to stock up on drugs and supply them to street dealers in the Bridport area before returning with the money.

Palmer pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of class A drugs with intent to supply on September 14, guilty to a count of possession of class A drugs on September 21 and possession of class B drugs.

He had also at a previous hearing pleaded guilty to two more counts of possession of class A drugs with intent to supply on September 30, for which he was also sentenced.

The court was told on September 14, Mr Palmer was travelling in the front passenger seat of a car when it was pulled over on the M5 going towards London.

Police reported a strong smell of cannabis in the car and two phones and more than £1,000 in cash was recovered.

When Palmer was searched cocaine and diamorphine were both recovered and he was arrested before being released on police bail.

On September 21, Palmer was travelling in a car with the same driver as on September 14 when the car was pulled over by police for driving erratically on the A30 near Bagshot in Surrey.

Police said that there was a strong smell of cannabis again and a small amount of cannabis was found in the car as well as a small amount of cocaine.

On September 30, police spotted a car in Burton Bradstock which Palmer was travelling in with the same driver as on the first two occasions.

Palmer was arrested in Bridport and taken to Bridport Police Station before ‘problems’ led him to being taken to Dorset County Hospital.

Here he revealed he had swallowed a quantity of drugs that had to be recovered.

When recovered, police found a quantity of heroin and crack cocaine which had a street value of £1,200.

Phones were also recovered and showed messages ‘indicative’ of local dealing in Dorset.

Prosecutor, Thomas Wilkins, said Palmer made regular trips and that on September 14 he was returning from Dorset with money from drug deals.

Tim Akers, mitigating, said that Palmer was paid £30 a day as well as crack cocaine to supply the drugs to ‘street dealers’ in Bridport.

Mr Akers said that he was instructed by people higher up in London to take the drugs to the area and hold them.

Judge Jonathan Fuller said that £30 a day seemed ‘unreasonable’.

The judge sentenced Palmer, of Lanchester Way, New Cross, London, to a total of 40 months in prison for all of the offences.

Bridport Police Inspector Mike Darby said: "I am very pleased with this conviction and the hard work my officers are putting into combatting these co-ordinated drug dealing activities.

"The fact that large amounts of drugs are being taken off the streets of Bridport from these dealers is satisfying and when people try and fill the gaps in the market these arrests make, we will continue to target them.

"I am concerned drug dealers are using young and vulnerable people from out of the area to sell their drugs and Dorset Police is committed to ensuring we do everything we can to safeguard young people or vulnerable people who are being forced to get involved."