Dealers jailed for ignoring order

As one crack house closed, a new one opened in another flat

Five crack dealers banned from council flats in west London have been jailed for breaching an exclusion order.

They were barred from an area of North Kensington in a landmark civil case brought by the council last year.

Dealers would use council tenants' homes as crack houses, moving on as each one closed, the High Court heard.

They were jailed for six months each on Friday for contempt of court by Mr Justice Ouseley, the High Court judge who imposed the original order.

Persistent nuisance

He said he was satisfied they had since "flagrantly and deliberately" disobeyed the order.

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea decided to use its powers to take action against people causing a "persistent nuisance" last year.

It was the first local authority, faced with the difficulties of controlling drug dealers' movements under criminal law, to resort to powers under the Local Government Act.

Prison is unlikely to benefit them or society, but orders of the court must not be disobeyed Mr Justice Ouseley

Police, tenants and council managers described the constant shouting from addicts, associated prostitution and discarded paraphernalia around the crack houses.

The two men and three women were banned from an area of North Kensington, from any home where drugs were being used and from any council-owned property.

They all had criminal convictions and had been involved for years in the operation of crack houses.

The judge said he at first considered 12-month sentences, but changed his mind after hearing how one of the five was addicted to crack after first trying it in prison.

But he added: "I must make it clear that court orders must be obeyed.

Victims of crack addiction

"I am not punishing them because crack houses are a serious public nuisance.

"In a sense, the defendants are themselves victims - the victims of crack addiction.

"Prison is unlikely to benefit them or society, but orders of the court must not be disobeyed and non-custodial sentences would not be justified."

He urged them to seek help in prison for their addictions.