Rookie Politico With Legal Ambitions Avoids Jail For Drug-Dealing

A young Labour politician - with ambitions to be a lawyer - avoided prison for drug-dealing after a judge decided not to ruin his bright future.

Student Firase Morgan, 25, 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.

However, he was caught selling £40 worth of cannabis to a barmaid outside a Sloane Street pub and had another £1,120 worth of the drug hidden in the roof lining of his car.

Isleworth Crown Court Judge Robert Winstanley told Morgan: "You were playing a sophisticated part in a well-planned cannabis organisation.

"Because of your control of stock and commercial involvement you played a significant role.

"You are saved from a custodial sentence by three things: You have got problems and have done something to address them.

"You have pleaded guilty and your record does not help you, but it is seven or eight years since you were last involved, when you spent a period in custody for robbery.

"I'll give you this opportunity to pick things up in your life and continue with your studies and career ambitions and address your cannabis addiction."

Morgan was sentenced to twelve months imprisonment, suspended for two years, and ordered to complete 120 hours community service.  

He pleaded guilty 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.

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

Prosecutor Miss Roxana Nasser told the court it was 4.30pm when plain-clothed police officers on routine patrol noticed a young woman running down the street.

"This young person ran to a cashpoint machine and dashed back to a pub where she works then dashes out to a car in a side street.

"Mr. Morgan is in the car and as the officers approach it they see the lady rush out with something.

"When they approached the car it smelled heavily of cannabis and when they searched it found twenty-eight white containers in the roof lining in a blue carrier bag."

Inside the two-and-a-half centimetre styrofoam condiment-style takeaway containers were small amounts of herbal cannabis.

The two Morgan sold the barmaid were in her room above the pub - which contained drug paraphernalia - and she said: "I bought the weed from the bloke in the car."

The barmaid had phoned a reliable number she knew and Morgan turned up.

Morgan's bedroom was also searched and police seized £1,000 cash, which they suspect is the proceeds of drug-dealing, but it will be returned to the defendant.

He claims it was his student finance and he had no other income.

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

His lawyer Miss Laura Miller told the court: "He played a limited role under direction with limited understanding of the operation.

"Since 2009 he has taken substantial steps to stay away from offending and has had assistance from 'Just for Kids' with education and housing.

"They placed him in a hostel and he moved away from his peer group."

Morgan's university knows about the two drug charges and have assured him he can continue a course that also includes a twelve-month partnership with Harvard.

"He's continued with his voluntary work with the charity, training solicitors and barristers through 'Just for Kids' to assist youngsters in youth courts.

"He attends a soup kitchen in Tottenham Court Road and assists.

"His depression and anxiety was exacerbated in the month before this offence when he started smoking cannabis and that led to these offences.

"He's ashamed of himself and feels he's let himself and others down, finding himself back before the courts.

"He intends taking a gap year from university to stabilise himself. Long-term he intends to work in the banking and finance industries.

"His career prospects will be effected by these convictions. The ramifications will be felt for him in the future if not his entire working life."