This says he's a 'taxi driver', but then says he previously worked for one of the big PH circuits in Liverpool. And kind of gives the impression that he's stopped doing that before he was caught with the drugs. Or maybe it just means he lost his badge
after the incident and charges etc. But it's not wholly clear.
But, I mean, what is it with drugs deals and plastic shopping bags? Can't they find someone more, er, substantial
Taxi driver's claim to police proved to be a lie by what was found in Sainsbury's baghttps://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/li ... d-34775002Dad-of-three Jean Nlemvo, 63, told officers he 'didn't know what cocaine was' but nearly £50,000 of the class A drug was found in his carhttps://i2-prod.liverpoolecho.co.uk/art ... emvo-2.jpgA taxi driver told the police he "didn't know what cocaine was" after nearly £50,000 of the class A drug was discovered inside a Sainsbury's bag in his car. Jean Nlemvo agreed to deliver the huge stash to a mysterious figure known only as "DDD" for a fee of only £75.
The dad-of-three was ultimately spared prison today after a priest penned a character reference to the court on his behalf, with a judge having told him: "It is astonishing to me that, as a 63-year-old, churchgoing, family man with children at university, you would involve yourself in this sort of organised crime for £75. You came very, very close indeed."
Liverpool Crown Court heard today, Friday, that Nlemvo's vehicle was stopped as he travelled from Manchester to Liverpool along the M62 on October 15, 2024, leading to him being arrested over an unrelated, unspecified matter. His car was only searched the following day, but, at this stage, police discovered an orange Sainsbury's carrier bag, which was tied at the handles, beneath the driver's seat.
Jonathan Keane, prosecuting, described how this bag was later found to contain a cardboard box with a block of 485g of cocaine stashed within. These drugs were found to be 82 per cent pure and valued at between £19,400 and £48,500.
This led to Nlemvo, of Windsor Street in Toxteth, being further held on suspicion of drug offences, at which stage he claimed he "didn't know what cocaine was". His iPhone was subsequently found to contain messages from a contact, saved in the device as "DDD", from the date of his arrest, asking "where he was" before following up with another text stating "hello" around 10 minutes later, by which stage the defendant had been detained.
Mr Keane added that there was "no information on who DDD was", although he was believed to be the intended recipient of the drugs. Nlemvo went on to state in a basis of plea that he had previously worked as a driver for Alpha Taxis for around 11 years, but was "going through financial difficulties".
This apparently led to him accepting a fee of £75 to drop a package off at an address on Merseyside, with the courier having "turned a blind eye to whatever was in the parcel". He has no previous convictions.
'Family man' was 'perfect for OCG to use'With Recorder Mark Shepherd having remarked that the "family man" was "in some ways, a perfect man for an organised crime group to use", Matthew O'Neill, defending, told the court: "I agree, your honour. It is a very sad state of affairs.
"He got himself into this due to financial difficulties. There is an element of exploitation, but he seeks not to minimise his actions. Yes, it was a large amount of drugs. He was not involved in the actual, direct selling, but, as a courier, still involved in the illegal supply of class A drugs."
With a priest having penned a reference to the court on Nlemvo's behalf, Mr O'Neill added: "Your honour will have read that he is a hard working man. He is a religious man, attending church on a weekly basis, heavily involved with his local church.
"It took him some time to realise the actions that have now brought himself here today to be sentenced for a very serious offence. He is still working, to his credit. He knows that there is a very realistic prospect of him losing his liberty today.
"In my respectful submission, there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation in this case. The defendant can be punished accordingly. He would still have that hanging over his head, should he involve himself with the more sophisticated people of this criminal world. In my submission, it would be far better for society, far better for Mr Nlemvo. He has learnt his lesson your honour."
'Extraordinary risk'Nlemvo admitted possession of cocaine with intent to supply on the day he was due to stand trial. Wearing a red and white checked shirt in the dock, he was handed a three-year imprisonment suspended for 18 months with 200 hours of unpaid work and a 12-month probation requirement.
Sentencing, Recorder Shepherd said: "It is astonishing to me that, as a 63-year-old, churchgoing, family man with children at university, you would involve yourself in this sort of organised crime for £75. That suggests a massive deficit in your consequential thinking. That suggests an inability, really, to deal with the problem head on and look for ways around that.
"I do not know why you pleaded not guilty for as long as you did, suggesting that you did not know about this. It is not something that is going to cost you your liberty today. You are somebody who is of benefit to society. You are somebody that is safe to manage in the community, and you are somebody who presents as a realistic prospect of rehabilitating yourself.
"You came very, very close indeed. This is high purity of drug. Thinking of your regular attendance at church, thinking of your own children, the damage that these drugs do to society, it ruins lives. You, on this date, were part of that collective harm towards your community. It is for that reason and the fact you knew, and I am satisfied you knew from the get go, that you were taking an extraordinary risk.
"I take the view that I can and should suspend that sentence in your case. That means you will not go to prison today. I have given you an opportunity today. You came very close to going to custody."
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