Birmingham dad jailed for cocaine dealing

A Birmingham father of four was jailed for cocaine dealing after a police stop in Solihull.

Birmingham dad jailed for cocaine dealing after earning £50k

Police stopped a white Mercedes in Solihull on May 16, 2023. Drive Andrew Millard, 41, had cash, scales and bags containing cocaine, plus a phone with incriminating messages. He admitted possession with intent to supply class A drugs after the stop.

Millard, described as the main earner in a family of four, earns about £50,000 a year and had hoped for a non-custodial sentence. Instead, he received two years and four months in prison. The judge noted the impact on Millard’s family and emphasized that the trade damages not only users but also innocent relatives. Millard’s defense argued he had been a drug user himself and that his family deserved a chance, highlighting his prior work history and role as a provider.

The case shows how courts balance the harm drugs cause to families with the aim of deterring supply. A single day of dealing, even by someone with a long record, can trigger a significant prison term if the offense is serious enough. The defense’s portrayal of Millard as a hard-working family man trying to overcome personal weaknesses adds to the tension between rehabilitation and punishment in drug offenses. The sentence also reflects how plea deals interact with sentencing rules, since the reduction for an early guilty plea did not allow for suspension given the sentence length.

Highlights

The case underscores how justice systems grapple with real lives behind the crime statistics.