An out-of-work father was caught trying to sell fake cocaine in Liverpool city centre. Lukas Olah, 22, asked a potential customer if he "wanted some Charlie" - but was actually offering crushed up paracetamol tablets.
On November 16 last year at around 3am, police officers saw Olah speaking to passers-by on Roe Alley off Wood Street. He was asked by a man if he "did half grams", and replied "just grams". He then led the customer into a secluded area of Seel Street, before walking off in the direction of Hanover Street.
Arrest and search
He was detained by police under section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act, and a snap bag was found in his coat pocket, along with £300 in cash. Also found in his pocket was an open packet of paracetamol.
Olah was taken to a police station, where a further search found a bag containing white powder, believed to be crushed up paracetamol. In sentencing, Recorder Eric Lamb said Olah admitted "making an offer to supply cocaine to what was in fact an undercover police officer".
Court proceedings
At Liverpool Crown Court today, Friday, September 25, prosecutor Frank Dillon said: "When arrested, he said 'I just bought it'. He said he was looking to buy cocaine as it was a special occasion. He said he had conversed with a male in a checkered shirt, but only to buy from him."
He said the cash belonged to him, it was not from the profits of illegal activity. He denied intending to supply paracetamol as drugs.
Olah, of Hawarden Grove in Seaforth, pleaded guilty to offering to supply cocaine. The prosecution said: "The intention seems to have been to supply powdered paracetamol and pass it off as cocaine."
Defence and background
John Rowan, defending, said Olah's operation was "very unsophisticated", carried out "in clear sight of CCTV and police officers".
He said: "The defendant is a young man, still 22 years of age, someone who has a background in the Czech Republic. He came to the UK when he was four and the court will have seen there were some difficulties when he was a child with behaviour from his father, and there were call-outs from the police.
"He attended school in this country, returned to the Czech Republic for a very short time when he was about 14, and has been in the UK since then."
Mr Rowan said Olah had been unable to secure employment or benefits as he did not have any identifying documents such as a passport.
He said: "He wants to work, he wants to contribute to society, but he has been unable to because of his lack of identification documents.
"It's something he has expressed remorse about. His life has changed substantially since last year because he now has a four-month-old son. He's now able to claim benefits, the benefits agency having confirmed his identity, and he's trying to obtain a passport and obtain good and honest employment."
His wife expresses high anxiety at losing the support of the defendant in a very delicate time of their child's life.
Sentence
Recorder Lamb told Olah: "You pleaded guilty to making an offer to supply cocaine to what was in fact an undercover police officer. In the event that which you were offering to supply was in fact paracetamol, but you were representing that it was cocaine and charging accordingly.
"In circumstances such as these, there should be a substantial downwards adjustment (in sentence) to reflect the fact that this offering is more akin to an offence of deception than it is to the supply of controlled drugs, because there were no controlled drugs being supplied."
He sentenced Olah to 12 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, and ordered him to carry out 10 rehabilitation days and 100 hours of unpaid work.
