Gateshead drug dealer caught by CCTV at his home caused his mum to be falsely accused
Zac Moon, of Leam Lane, who was twice caught selling cannabis, has walked free from court
A drug dealer caught selling drugs on CCTV at his home caused his mother to be dragged before the courts and falsely accused of being involved in his criminal activities.
Zac Moon was living with his mum when he used her garden shed to store cannabis and dealt it from the back gate and cars worth thousands which she bought him. Police first went to their home in Gateshead on May 29 2020 and seized cannabis from the shed and also found more than £6,000 of drugs money in a safe in the house, along with 17 fake £20 notes.
Text messages on a phone showed Moon had been dealing cannabis and CCTV was also recovered from the house showing him supplying drugs. Moon was arrested then released under investigation but in January 2021 he was caught at it again. Further cannabis and more than £1,500 cash were seized on that occasion.
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Newcastle Crown Court heard Moon’s mother ended up being arrested because of his criminality and was charged with money laundering and allowing premises to be used for the supply of cannabis but later cleared of any involvement.
In total, police seized around 450g of cannabis, worth around £4,000. Mr Fish said: “The prosecution say he was a street level cannabis dealer.”
Moon, 28, of Stainway, Leam Lane, Gateshead, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply and supplying cannabis, two counts of possessing criminal property and possessing counterfeit money. He was sentenced to 16 months suspended for two years with 200 hours unpaid work.
Judge Julie Clemitson told him: “You lived with your mother and used a shed in her garden to store cannabis and supplied it from the garden gate or the cars she bought for you. CCTV showed you in the act of supplying from your home address.”
She added: “Your mother lost her job and went through the ordeal of a crown court trial. You had people come to your house because you still owe people money.
“Your mother’s life has been made miserable, I suspect, over the years as a result of your drug use and harassing her for money, long before this took place. You used the cars she gave you to supply cannabis and they will likely be taken from you (under the Proceeds of Crime Act).” The court heard his mum spend £30,000 on purchases for him, mainly in relation to cars.
Moon had used cannabis from a young age and did so throughout his teens and began to sell it to pay back drug debts. Richard Bloomfield, defending, said: “The suspicion he generated dragged his mother into it and she had to take a journey through the courts. He is incredibly lucky to have her as a mother, she has been incredible.
“He is mortified at dragging his mother through the system and he is lucky to still have her supporting him. He expresses remorse for what he has done.
“He has let his mother down. He was stupid enough to commit offences while under investigation. He says the money he was holding was owed to others who supplied him with drugs and he therefore remained responsible for paying it back so he had to resort to what he was doing before to pay it back.
“He, in fact, still owes that money. Retribution has followed in respect of his failure to pay that back.” There will be a hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act later this year.
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