Chester drug dealer jailed and handed a three-year Criminal Behaviour Order

The drugs seized by officers when they stopped and searched the 35-year-old had an estimated street value of £1,600.

Lammond pleaded guilty to possessing the class B drug with intent to supply it and was sentenced for the offence at Chester Crown Court on Friday 3 April.

He was jailed for 18 months and ordered to pay a £149 victim surcharge.

The court also imposed a three-year CBO on Lammond in a bid to curb his persistent offending.

His long list of previous convictions include theft and public order offences.

Sergeant Alex Jackson, of Chester Local Policing Unit (LPU), said: “On top of being a drug dealer who has now been convicted of four separate drug dealing offences, Wayne Lammond has blighted the Chester community with anti-social behaviour.

“This includes abusive and aggressive behaviour, such as shouting in public places and blocking shop doorways.

“Lammond also self-defined himself as the spokesperson of several squats within Chester over a four-month period, including the much publicised squat at Hamilton House in the city centre at the beginning of October.

“These squats were frequented by known criminals as well as drug users.

“The squats created a magnet for people with vulnerabilities which others could exploit.

“When sentencing Lammond, the judge labelled the drug dealer a ‘hypocrite’ in regards to his campaigning for help for homeless people with drug addictions.

“Working alongside partner agencies, our Partnership Problem Solving Team have tried to offer interventions to prevent and deter Lammond from continuing to act in a criminal and anti-social manner.

“With all other avenues having failed in this regard, we applied for a Criminal Behaviour Order.”

CBOs are preventative orders which are designed to stop persistent offenders committing further anti-social behaviour and criminal offences. They are only ever applied for and imposed as a last resort.

Breaching a CBO carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.

Sgt Jackson added: “Lammond’s offending has had a significant detrimental impact on members of the Chester community and he has persistently shown no consideration at all for the effects his unacceptable behaviour has had on others and on the city as a whole.

“No-one should be subjected to such behaviour and we will use whatever powers we have at our disposal to ensure that Chester is a pleasant place to live, work and visit.”

The CBO prohibits Lammond from entering Chester city centre for three years unless he is going directly to and from St Werburgh’s Medical Practice on George Street to attend a medical appointment at The Homeless GP’s Surgery; the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) in Chantry House, City Road, for an appointment; or Chester Magistrates’ Court or Chester Crown Court when required to as a witness or defendant.

Lammond can only attend those places during their opening times.

He also has to adhere to the requirements an Integrated Offender Management Programme.

Sgt Jackson added: “I hope this CBO sends a strong message that we will not tolerate criminal or anti-social behaviour in Chester and that, working closely with partner agencies, we will take the necessary action against those who blight our city with such behaviour.

“I also hope it gives Lammond the boundaries he needs to significantly improve his behaviour upon his release from prison.

“The CBO does not prevent him from accessing services for homeless people, as support is available outside his exclusion area, and the support offered by the Integrated Offender Management Programme will see dedicated officers work with him across seven different pathways to improve his life chances and choices.”

Anyone who sees Lammond in Chester city centre over the next three years is asked to call Cheshire Constabulary on 101 to report it.