Milton Keynes man sentenced for seven years in relation to drugs and charges of sharing indecent images of children

William Cook, 29, of Fernan Dell, Crownhill was sentenced on Friday (September 9) to a total of seven years and seven months behind bars.

In one of the first prosecutions under a new law against ‘legal highs’ Cook was sentenced for possession of a psychoactive substance with intent to supply.

He was also charged for distributing an indecent video involving children and placed on the sex offenders register for ten years.

On May 13 last year, a drugs warrant was carried out at an address in Mead Crescent, Redhouse Park where packages containing white powder believed to be class A drugs were found, clear plastic drug deal bags, six mobile phones, scales and £1,260 in cash.

Outside the address, an Audi Q5 believed to be used by Cook was searched.

Inside the vehicl an extendable truncheon was seized from beside the driver’s seat and more drugs were found.

Cook was claiming housing benefit and job seekers allowance whilst living in a privately rented three bedroomed house and driving a new Audi Q5.

A subsequent financial investigation showed Cook had a large amount of money (approximately £55,000) which had been transferred into his account over a five month period.

As part of the investigation Cook’s mobile phone was examined and an indecent video involving children was found in his WhatsApp account.

This video had been distributed by Cook in 2013 to his friend as he “thought it was funny”.

Cook stated the video had been sent via social media.

Investigating officer detective constable Stephanie Mason, said: “Cook believed that as he had received the video via social media he was not committing offences by forwarding the video on to friends. This is a stark warning to others that any extreme pornography or indecent images received via social media will be dealt with and you will be charged if caught by police.”

While Cook was on bail, he was arrested on July 9, 2016 at the Electric Daisy Carnival at The Bowl, Central Milton Keynes in relation to drug offences.

He pleaded guilty and was charged with the possession with intent to supply a class A drug and posession with intent to supply a psychoactive substance.

Police searched Cook at the Electric Daisy Carnival who was holding a large white bag, which contained 94 small gas canisters and 152 balloons.

Officers were aware that these are often used at festivals by people to get high and the balloons are used to assist with the inhalation of the gas into the body known as ‘legal highs’.

Cook was also carrying £850 in cash and a brown wallet containing 11 small white bags of cocaine.

DC Mason added: “I believe this may be one of the first cases where possession of a psychoactive substance with intent to supply has been sentenced at court since the change in the law in May to counteract the issue of what had been known as ‘legal highs’.

“Cook was sentenced to 42 months in prison for this offence alone, which shows how seriously the offence is taken by the justice system.”