Young Labour Politician Facing Three Years For Drug Dealing

A young Labour politician - with ambitions to be a lawyer - is facing a potential three years in prison for dealing cannabis from the roof lining of his car.

Student Firase Morgan, 24, of Rodmarton Street, Marylebone stood as the official Labour Party candidate for Hyde Park Ward in the City of Westminster council elections two years ago.

He was not elected a councillor and currently attends BPP University, where he is studying for an LLB law degree.

Morgan is also a senior ambassador for charity Just for Kids Law and lobbies businesses to employ people with criminal records.

He pleaded guilty at Hammersmith Magistrates Court to possessing 28 wraps of cannabis, with intent to supply, outside the Gloucester Pub, Sloane Street, Knightsbridge on March 5.

He also pleaded guilty to supplying a quantity of cannabis to a female member of the pub's staff.

Prosecutor Miss Stella Watta told the court yesterday: "Officers were on patrol at 4.30pm and they noticed a female in the Knightsbridge area run to a cashpoint, get money, and run back to the pub.

"She exited the pub and goes to a vehicle in which Mr. Morgan is sat.

"She had two twenty pound notes in her hand and when she came out of the vehicle she no longer had the two twenty pound notes on her, but had two wraps.

"She works and resides at the Gloucester pub in Sloane Street and when officers went to the premises they recovered two wraps. which she said had been supplied by Mr. Morgan.

"They then went to speak to Mr. Morgan and the vehicle smelled of cannabis and the car and Mr. Morgan were searched.

"They found that in the roof lining of the vehicle were twenty-eight white containers that contained herbal cannabis inside a blue carrier bag loosely concealed in the lining.

"Mr. Morgan's premises were searched and a thousand pounds was recovered, which is believed to be the proceeds of crime, but it is not clear if confiscation proceedings are underway."

The drug containers were described as tupperware-like and the wraps were colour-coded, with an approximate street value of £560.

The barmaid told police: "I bought the weed from the bloke in the car", explaining she simple called a number she knew and Morgan turned up.

He claims the £1,000 cash is not drug-related, insisting it is his student finance and he had no other income.

Morgan was convicted of robbery in 2008 and in 2009 received a suspended prison sentence for theft from the person.

District Judge Karim Ezzat said the sentencing range for the offences were twenty-six weeks to three years imprisonment and bailed Morgan to appear at Isleworth Crown Court on April 28.

"He was doing it for money, he was doing it for financial gain," said the judge. "He had one thousand pounds cash."

Morgan's lawyer claimed the defendant was not a key player, but taking orders from suppliers up the chain.

District Judge Ezzat told Morgan that the starting-point for the offences was twelve months imprisonment, exceeding the magistrates courts powers of six months.