Crying cocaine dealer who started using at 12 offered man ‘£300 for a good day’ to sell drugs

A 19-year-old man broke down in tears as a court heard details of his crack cocaine dealing.

Logan Petch was storing his drugs at an acquaintance’s house and offering a man “£150 or £300 on a good day” to sell him his drugs. In messages found on the teenager’s phone, he asked a man to “get up early tomorrow, mate” to sell him some “cash”.

Petch was caught dealing drugs when a member of the public called police after seeing a drug deal in Middlesbrough’s Albert Park.

On November 8, undercover police officers followed Petch after the man reported seeing “three drug users approaching Petch and objects being passed back and forth.” The officers followed Petch to the park’s Snax Cafe and arrested him.

In an envelope placed in his jacket he had hidden 45 sealed bags containing a total of 7.54 grams of crack cocaine, worth around £450. Daniel Ingham, prosecuting, told Teesside Crown Court that Petch was also carrying “two disposable phones” and £200 in cash.

Police then searched a home linked to Petch and found 16.5 grams of crack cocaine, distributed in 98 sealed bags and hidden in a glasses case. According to Ingham, Petch “was exercising control over another person’s home to store his drugs.”

Petch, of Kinross Avenue, Park End, Middlesbrough, admitted possession of a class A drug with intent. He was on a community order for a previous burglary offence when he was caught selling.

In mitigation, Tom Bennett told the court his client had had “extremely difficult negative experiences” as a child in care. “He has had some instability throughout his life,” Mr Bennett said, “and he has significant substance abuse issues.