Source: Daily Telegraph
Contact: et.letters@telegraph.co.uk

Oxford student admits drugdealing

AN OXFORD undergraduate faces jail after pleading guilty yesterday to
supplying ecstasy and cannabis from his college room, writes Michael Fleet.

Benjamin O'Brien, 19, son of a company director, was arrested in June
after police raided his room at Somerville College. The firstyear
politics, philosophy and economics undergraduate had 41 ecstasy tablets,
worth £410, as well as names and addresses of customers for drugs. Police
also found small amounts of cocaine and amphetamines.

O'Brien pleaded guilty to supplying and possessing ecstasy, supplying
cannabis and possession of cocaine and amphetamines.

The case was adjourned for two weeks and O'Brien had his bail extended on
condition that he lives at home in Wainstalls, near Halifax, West Yorks,
and stays away from Oxford.

He admitted supplying drugs over a sixmonth period and police believe he
had been involved in deals worth thousands of pounds. His case comes three
months after Daniel Legg, a philosophy and theology student from Exeter
College, Oxford, was jailed for three years for supplying cocaine, ecstasy
and cannabis to other undergraduates.

An accomplice, Benedict Gilman from St John's College, Oxford, was ordered
to do 200 hours' community service after storing drugs for Legg, a
diplomat's son.

Gilman later withdrew from Oxford before a disciplinary hearing in front of
his college's governing body. No decision has yet been taken over Legg's
future, although he is not expected to be allowed to resume his studies
after serving his sentence.

At an earlier magistrates' court hearing, it was said that O'Brien had
several different bank accounts and kept careful paperwork of his drug deals.

In police interviews O'Brien allegedly admitted supplying the drugs at
college parties. He was suspended by college authorities but was allowed to
take his firstyear exams.

Michael Trueman, defending, said O'Brien had "bundles" of references from
his college but asked for more time to gather evidence. Judge Paul Clark
told him the offences were serious and allowed him two more weeks before
sentencing O'Brien.

© Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.