A teenager described in court as a ‘conduit’ in the street supply of drugs has been jailed for a total of 34 months.

Charlie Taylor-Burt, 19, was arrested by police officers carrying out a targeted patrol in a known drug dealing hotspot off Empress Drive in Douglas.

The defendant was stopped as he walked out of a lane from Mona Drive at around 11.50pm on July 25 last year, prosecutor Hazel Carroon told the Court of General Gaol Delivery when he appeared for sentencing on Friday.

Asked if he had anything on him he replied: ‘I’ve got this. I’m holding it for a mate. I’m happy to give it up.’

From a right-hand jacket pocket he produced a tub containing ground herbal cannabis.

The drugs weighed 63.2g and had a street value of £1,246.

Interviewed under caution, the defendant answered ‘no comment’.

His mobile phone was examined and found to contain multiple Snapchat messages between him and others showing the extent to which he was involved in the supply of both cannabis and cocaine.

The prosecution’s case was that he was involved in street-level dealing.

Taylor-Burt admitted possessing cannabis with intent to supply and being concerned in the supply of cannabis and cocaine.

Defence advocate Paul Glover agreed with the prosecution’s description of his client as a ‘conduit’. ‘He was a facilitator,’ he said.

Mr Glover said the defendant was still a young man who was ‘no more than a boy’ and had now learned a ‘valuable life lesson’.

He said his client had significant and complex mental health issues and had now completely disassociated himself from drugs and those involved.

The court heard the defendant had breached a 20-month suspended sentence imposed in April 2024 for unrelated criminal matters.

Then aged 17, he had stolen his mother’s VW Polo and led police on a prolonged and dangerous car chase through the streets of Onchan and Douglas.

He admitted dangerous driving, taking his mother’s car without consent, obstructing police, failing to stop for police, having no insurance, and having no driving licence.

While on bail for those driving offences, Taylor-Burt forced entry to a locked study at the family home in Port Soderick, raided the safe and stole between £400 and £500.

On Friday, Deemster Graham Cook jailed him for 28 months for the cocaine offence with 12 months concurrent for the two cannabis offences.

He also activated part of the suspended sentence from 2024, adding a further six months to his jail term to run consecutively.

‘You chose to get involved in further criminality,’ the Deemster told him.

‘You have a very limited criminal history but unfortunately that criminal history includes getting a 20-month suspended sentence.’

The Deemster said he was being ‘merciful’ by imposing 12-month concurrent sentences for the cannabis offences.

He said he was sentencing on the basis of offences carried out on one day only. A co-accused is to be sentenced at a later date.

Taylor-Burt will serve half of his sentence in custody before being released on licence.