A judge has sounded a stark warning about the dangers of Ecstasy as he sentenced a promising young man for dealing the drug.

Judge Sean Morris told 20-year-old Danny Wilson: "Ecstasy is a Class A drug.

"We've all read in the papers the heartbreaking stories of parents who get a phone call at 1am to say that their teenage child has been taken from a nightclub or from a pub or from a house having collapsed.

"They rush to hospital and their child is dead.

"Drugs kill. Drugs ruin lives. And without dealers, they don't get out on to the streets."


The judge made the remarks shortly before an inquest heard - in a separate case - how fit and healthy rugby player and student Joel Nichols, 17, died after overdosing on Ecstasy.

'I'm sorry for what I've done. I've made a mistake'

Wilson faced prison after he was caught with 236 MDMA or Ecstasy tablets, worth between £700 and £1,400.

He also had 6.9g of the Class B drug ketamine, worth £280, said prosecutor Emma Atkinson.

He apologised from the dock at Teesside Crown Court, saying: "I'm sorry for what I've done. I've made a mistake."


A police officer was going to stop Wilson about his driving on Viewley Centre Road, Hemlington, Middlesbrough and saw a male teenager going to and from the hired car.

Wilson tried to make off but was blocked in and caught with a wrap of white powder in the driver's door pocket and a large amount of cash on the floor.

Officers found the Ecstasy under the driver's seat, £2,760 cash, portable scales and two phones, with texts indicating drug dealing.

'A young man who did something incredibly stupid'

Wilson, of Charlock, Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, admitted possessing Ecstasy and ketamine with intent to supply and possessing criminal property.

Stephen Constantine, defending, said on Friday: "This is a young man who over a year ago did something incredibly stupid."

Teesside Crown Court.

He said Wilson had shown passion and dedication and acted as a father figure in coaching children in football.

He told how Wilson helped his family, put something back into the community, wanted to better himself, studied at college and had "glowing" references from his employer and tutor.

He asked the judge to consider a suspended sentence "in this exceptional case".

'Why should I treat you any differently to some helpless sofa surfer?'

Judge Morris told Wilson: "You come from a respectable family. You have a good job. You have prospects.

"What on earth did you think you were doing?

"You were playing a commercial part in the whole messy filthy business of drug dealing.


"You are an intelligent person who's been brought up to know right from wrong.

"Why should I treat you any differently to some helpless sofa surfer?

"In some ways you are more culpable than some person who was nothing in life.

'It cannot be one rule for one and one rule for others'

"This is a significant role you played in drug dealing.

"There you were, hired car, wads of cash, about £15,000 worth of Ecstasy at street level.

"You are ordinarily a good man. who's done good work for the community.


"People need to understand, especially clever well-educated bright professionals, they will be treated just the same.

"It cannot be one rule for one and one rule for others.

"Your friends, and they're wondering where you are, will know - he was drug dealing, he's gone to prison, and they won't do it."

Reducing the sentence significantly, he sent Wilson to a young offenders' institution for 19 months.