A CONVICTED drug dealer “came within a whisker” of being jailed after he admitted supplying crack cocaine and heroin in Brighton. 

Mohamed Ahmed Sulieman, of Blaker Court, Fairlawn, Greenwich, was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, after pleading guilty to two offences of supplying drugs in the city. 

Sentencing Sulieman at Lewes Crown Court on May 12, His Honour Judge Stephen Mooney told the 22-year-old he was being spared an immediate jail sentence due to his age and previous good character. 

He told the defendant: “You came within a whisker of going to prison.” 

Josephine Teale, prosecuting, told the court that on February 25, 2020, Sulieman had in his possession 87 grams of crack cocaine and 403 grams of diamorphine, with intent to supply it to another in contravention of section 4(1) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. 

He pleaded guilty to the offences at Lewes Crown Court on March 22 this year. 

In mitigation, Houzla Rawat, defending, told the court that Sulieman was involved with a drug operation in the city but did not play a “significant” role. 

“He was just 20 at the time of the offence,” she told the court. “He came to Brighton in 2020 having spent four years in Somalia. He found himself being persuaded to get involved in drug dealing.”

She said he was of previous good character and had recently found work in a restaurant, with a view to attending university in the future.

“His family is devastated that he is before the court today,” she added. 

As well as handing down a suspended sentence, the judge also ordered Sulieman to undergo 30 rehabilitation days and to undertake 250 hours of unpaid work. 

In releasing Sulieman, the judge issued a warning to the 22-year-old.  

He said: “If you fail to complete the unpaid work or the [rehabilitation days] I will send you to prison. You don’t want that … so ... behave yourself.” 

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