A DRUG dealer and a pensioner accused of using his city flat as a base for dealing heroin and cocaine did not turn up for their court hearing.

Naomi Harris was due to be sentenced at Worcester Crown Court yesterday after previously admitting supplying cocaine and heroin in Worcester.

Harris, previously of Dent Close, Worcester appeared at Worcester Crown Court last month where she admitted being concerned in an offer to supply a class A drug to another (cocaine) between March 28 and April 3 2019, possession of heroin on April 3 last 2019 and being concerned in the supply of heroin and cocaine after she was convicted at magistrates court on March 8 this year. The 29-year-old denied possession of a hunting knife on April 2, 2019. The disposal of this charge was also due to be dealt with at this hearing.

However, she did not attend the hearing and nor did her co-defendant, Kenneth Wilson. Judge Nicolas Cole who said: "We're not doing very well today." He made the comment after another defendant, Keith Perkins, who eventually did turn up, was late getting to Worcester from Hereford. Perkins, 53, of no fixed abode was ultimately jailed for five years for an arson attack in Leominster. Wilson was listed for a mention hearing to help resolve his case. We previously reported how Wilson, 66, of Northfield Street, Worcester was charged with permitting a premises to be used for supply of cocaine and heroin at John Gwynne House in Newport Street, Worcester between April 2, 2014 and April 3, 2019. The court also heard from Harris's advocate, William Dudley, that she had not kept a telephone appointment with a probation officer. The purpose of this appointment was to prepare a pre-sentence report ahead of the sentence to assist the judge.

Mr Dudley accepted that his client's failure to keep the appointment was 'unattractive' and her failure to attend 'does not necessarily give me the strongest hand' in terms of resisting a warrant not backed for bail.

Judge Nicholas Cole told Harris on the last occasion: "I make plain that all options remain open, including immediate custody."

It was a condition of bail that Harris, now of Wolverhampton, co-operate with the probation service in the preparation of the pre-sentence report.

He issued a warrant not backed for bail for both defendants.