Ecstasy dealer at Trafford club starts jail term
A drug dealer who sold Ecstasy at a club event the night after a man died at the same venue has been jailed for three years and eight months.
Paul Costello, 25, swallowed his wares as he was caught red-handed at the Warehouse Project in Trafford Park on September 28 last year.
The night before a number of clubbers were taken to hospital after taking a suspected bad batch of the Class A drug, including Nick Bonnie, 30, from Stroud, Gloucestershire, who later died.
Costello, of Old Moat Lane, Withington, Manchester, was hauled out of the venue when he was approached by security staff and threw a packet of pills to the floor and began to stamp on them.
Costello was later taken to hospital after he swallowed some of the drugs.
He admitted at an earlier hearing at Manchester Minshull Street Crown to possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply.
Following sentencing yesterday, Detective Constable Lee Attenborough said: "We have all seen the tragic consequences of taking illegal drugs when attending these sorts of events. A number of people have sadly lost their lives by taking 'designer' drugs and these deaths have been widely publicised in the media.
"It is important to stress that we have no evidence linking these drugs to anyone who has died as a result of taking illegal substances at the Warehouse Project.
"Nevertheless, it is people like Costello who bring these drugs into venues that are propagating this cycle of misery: exposing people to temptation and creating a market for the possession, sale and intake of drugs that can cause serious injury, harm or even worse.
"If you were to ask any of the family members of those who have died, I'm sure they would agree that people who smuggle drugs into the venue are putting people's lives at risk.
"Thanks to the vigilance of the security staff on duty that evening, the drugs Costello brought in were seized before they could do any damage. However, his desperate attempts to destroy the evidence by swallowing the drugs put his own life at risk and he had to be rushed to hospital, which underlines just how dangerous these drugs can be.
"Greater Manchester Police works alongside licensed venues and security staff to ensure revellers can enjoy their surroundings safely and enjoyably, and anyone found smuggling or taking drugs will face harsh punishments. We will continue to do this and hammer home the message that drugs cost people their lives and anyone found dealing in this lethal trade can expect a visit from us."