A DRUGS courier has been spared an immediate jail sentence – thanks, in part, to his dad’s plea to a judge.

Glen Omojowho, 20, was in the dock at Winchester Crown Court, having pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine in Basingstoke.

Officers found the Londoner in a house in Gainsborough Road, Black Dam, during a raid on February 6 last year. He was later found to have 10 wraps of heroin and 11 wraps of crack cocaine, with a combined street value of more than £500.

During the sentencing hearing, Omojowho’s father, Gabriel Omojowho, was invited down from the public gallery to speak to Judge Keith Cutler.

He said: “The fact is that his mum went away seven years ago leaving me to look after my four children by myself. I believe that my son’s problems started when the mum left.

“Myself, his brother and sisters have put a plan in place for him so that when hegets out of this place he will have something concrete and I will be able to keep my eyes on him.”

Shaun Espirit, defending Omojowho, said his client got involved in dealing to pay off a drugs debt he had accrued back in London.

His father’s plan involved moving Omojowho from the defendant’s home in Forest Hill, South East London, to his brother’s address in Chiswick, West London, where he would also have a new job, the court heard.

Omojowho had made eight trips from London to Basingstoke in the eight days before the police raid, the court heard.

James Newton-Price, prosecuting, said officers carried out the raid after stopping another man who had just left the house.

While he was being searched, the man shouted out “It’s a raid!” towards the house, inadvertently tipping off the police about drug dealing activity, the court heard.

Judge Cutler said he was willing “to take a chance” on Omojowho in not sending him straight to jail, thanks to his early guilty plea, his remorse, and his father’s plan.

Instead, he imposed a 12-month sentence, suspended for two years, with a £100 victim surcharge.