Man sentenced to more than four years in prison for Class A drug supply offences in Portsmouth

A 22-year-old man has been sentenced to four years and four months in prison for his involvement in Class A drug supply in Portsmouth.

Robertino Brown, of Knox Road, appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court today (Friday 30 June) for sentence after pleading guilty at the same court in May to six counts of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and two counts of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs.

The court heard how Brown was arrested in September 2021 by officers from Portsmouth’s High Harm team who were on proactive patrol in the Commercial Road area of the city.

Officers spotted what they suspected to be drug-related activity and Brown was stopped and searched under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

He was found to be in possession of money and two phones, one of which was missing the sim card.

An address linked to Brown was searched under Section 18 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, where 69 wraps of crack cocaine and 16 wraps of heroin were located. Drug paraphernalia was also located at the address.

Further examination of one of the phones revealed that it was the operator of a local drug line.

As the investigation into Brown was ongoing, he was arrested for further drugs offences in both July 2022 and April 2023.

Detective Sergeant Claire Ratcliffe, of Portsmouth’s High Harm Team, said: “Drug supply causes harm and misery to our communities and we are pleased that Brown, who was running a drug line supplying some of the most harmful drugs we deal with, will now face the consequences of his actions and be taken off the streets.

“This result comes following some brilliant proactive policing work and a thorough, comprehensive investigation. My team will continue targeting drug-related harm and the associated violence that comes with it, and keep up the pressure on those known to us locally as being involved in this kind of activity.

“I hope this sentence demonstrates our commitment to tackling drugs and keeping people safe from the harm they cause. I also hope it sends out a clear message to anyone involved in supplying drugs – we will do everything in our power to identify you and bring you to justice.”

We encourage anyone who suspects drug related activity to be taking place in your neighbourhood to report it to us. Every piece of information helps us to build a stronger intelligence picture and allows us to take action.

You can make a report by calling 101 or via our website at: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/

Alternatively, you can report to Crimestoppers 100% anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their website at  https://crimestoppers-uk.org/