A drug trafficker who once boasted of having cocaine “coming out of his ears” is back behind bars after a £100,000 drug debt led to threats against him and his elderly mother. Michael Burns, 43, of Princes Avenue in Eastham, Wirral, was sentenced to 34 months at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday.
Threats and arrest
Police searched Burns' home on May 1 this year and seized three packages of cocaine weighing a total of 400.6g, along with drug paraphernalia and a small quantity of cannabis. The court heard that Burns had previously been jailed for nine years in April 2021 for conspiracy to supply cocaine, with an additional 16 months added in 2024. He had used the EncroChat handle 'Million Dolla' and bragged about the drug “coming out of his ears”.
Debt and coercion
Prosecutor Matthew Dixon said Burns claimed in a basis of plea, accepted by the prosecution, that he owed a “significant drug debt” from his previous convictions. After his release, criminals made threats against him and his 79-year-old mother, leading him to agree to hold a stash of cocaine to keep creditors at bay. Merseyside Police conducted a welfare check the day before his arrest “due to intelligence received”. Burns declined to name those involved “due to fear of reprisals”.
Mitigation
Defending, Simran Garcha told the court: “I submit on his behalf that, until his involvement with the supply of drugs, he was a hard working, devoted family man with a strong work ethic. He was raised by loving, supportive parents. During his childhood, his father was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He became the man of the house. Following his death, he continued to provide unwavering support to his mother and siblings. His mother is now 79 years of age. She is in declining health. She has been diagnosed with COPD and suffered a heart attack during his previous time in custody.”
Garcha added that Burns was a devoted father to four children and had built a career in the offshore industry before the oil price crash, a back injury and the pandemic led to financial hardship. He amassed a debt of around £100,000 and said his previous imprisonment had changed his perspective, completing rehabilitation programmes and working as a resettlement mentor in prison. After his 2024 release, he secured legitimate employment.
Sentence
Burns admitted possession of cocaine with intent to supply and possession of cannabis. Sentencing, Judge Dennis Watson KC said: “Your basis of plea is one that is important and cannot be brushed over or regarded as superficial. In short, you had a significant drugs debt. Those to whom you owed the debt had asked you to look after and then hand on the cocaine and, importantly, in my judgement, you were threatened, and your mother was threatened, which were credible threats so far as you were concerned.”
The judge added: “Even considering the mitigation, personal circumstances are not ignored, but, in serious crime, they have little weight. Your mother, your daughters, your conduct has impacted on them as well.”
