A DRUG DEALER who fled to Spain to escape jail has been sent to prison for more than five and a half years.

Jonathan Tagart, 31, admitted six charges of selling heroin to an undercover police officer when he appeared at Dorchester Crown Court.

Prosecutor Desmond Duffy said Tagart sold the class A drug to an undercover police officer in November and December 2009 in Weymouth during a crackdown on drug supply by Dorset Police, codenamed Operation Dismantle.

The court heard how Tagart remained on the run until June 16 this year, returning to take care of his ill mother, but failed to fly home for his wife Sarah’s funeral in April.

Mr Duffy said Tagart, who has a one-year-old daughter, first sold £75 worth of heroin to the police officer on November 24, 2009 in Dorchester Road, Weymouth.

Mr Duffy said he then sold £75 worth on November 25 in Dorchester Road, £75 worth on November 30 in Dorchester Road, £140 worth on December 1 in Spa Road, £75 worth on December 2 in Crescent Street and £75 worth on December 14 in Spa Road.

Mr Duffy said police officers attended his flat in Spa Road on February 8 when £3,000 was seized but Tagart was not present.

He said: “Mr Tagart wasn’t arrested until June 16 when he came off a flight in Bristol airport.

“He explained he had been in Spain and he accepted that he had sold the drugs to the police officer on six occasions.”

Richard Tutt, mitigating, told how Tagart fled to Spain partly because of his fear of being sent to the same prison as Terry Spriggs who was jailed in February for two violent robberies including one where Tagart was the victim.

A previous court hearing heard how Tagart was forced to the floor and beaten, threatened with a syringe and told a bullet would be ‘put in his head’ if he told police.

Mr Tutt said: “Mr Tagart was concerned he would end up in the same prison or institution as Mr Spriggs – he was considered a grass and was concerned for his own safety.

“Although he accepts he left the country because of these offences, it wasn’t those matters in isolation.”

He added: “In April 2010, Sarah his wife, died.

“He didn’t return to this country to deal with the death or the funeral.”

Mr Tutt said Tagart decided to return to the UK because his mother was ill and he also wanted to resolve the matters against him.

He added: “It’s a very sad statement but a true statement that he has had a long term addiction to illicit drugs that would have seemed to have defined his existence.”

Judge Roger Jarvis said: “In my view I have no alternative than to sentence you to a minimum sentence of 2,045 days in custody.”

Operation Dismantle's success

OPERATION Dismantle was a targeted operation aimed at cracking down on the supply of class A drugs in Weymouth and Portland.

An undercover officer operated in the resort between August 2009 and January last year, making contact with local users and purchasing drugs from suppliers.

In February 2010, Dorset Police carried out a series of raids across the area, with around 100 officers involved at one stage, and made 38 arrests.

A total of 34 offenders were prosecuted for drugs offences, with the other four charged with non-drug related offences.

Tagart becomes the 18th defendant to be jailed for the supply of drugs and his sentence was the longest of all of the offenders.