An east Belfast cocaine baron has been jailed again for the exchange of drug dealing text messages with an associate who died suddenly.
Police discovered 38-year-old Glenn Rainey’s involvement in the illicit trade after examining the dead man’s mobile phone.
Rainey, who is already serving a prison term for running a major cocaine operation, was sentenced to four months custody after admitting the new offences.
Belfast Magistrates Court heard the ambulance service alerted police to a sudden death in the city on June 3 2021.
Messages discovered on the deceased’s phone during the investigation revealed Rainey’s role in supplying cocaine and diazepam.
He is believed to have sent a text the previous day to announce that he was selling supplies, according to the prosecution.
The dead man replied with the request: “Bring me a gram of street, I’m happy with a gram of street.”
In a further message Rainey told him: “Go to the shop for me, I’ll give you two diazies mate.”
It was not suggested that his death was in any way linked to the texts.
However, a Crown lawyer disclosed that Rainey had changed the name of a WhatsApp group to a new title which included a reference to “pure”.
The defendant, formerly of McArthur Court in Belfast, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of Class A and Class C drugs on dates between May and June 2021.
His solicitor, Mark Austin, argued that only four text messages had been exchanged over a limited period of time.
The lawyer stressed that his client has been in custody since August 2021 over his involvement in separate cocaine dealing in east belfast.
With Rainey due to be released in January, Mr Austin said: “He’s learning the hard way and is now looking to get out and get his life back on track.”
It was confirmed that sentencing powers available at magistrates’ court level will not lead to Rainey spending any more time behind bars.
Based on his guilty pleas, Deputy District Judge Liam McStay imposed four months’ custody with immediate effect.
Mr McStay added: “It’s quite clear that he has (already) been hit for this type of behaviour.”