Co Armagh resident was 'cooking' crack cocaine in the 'dangerous' car he was sleeping rough in, Craigavon court hears

Deyan Rankov, of Market Street Court, Tandragee, appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with using a vehicle in a dangerous condition on July 17 this year at Castle Lane, Lurgan. He was also charged of possession of the Class A drug crack cocaine on July 4 this year.

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Rankov was spotted by police on July 17, this year at around 2pm in the Castle Lane area of Lurgan. Police stopped the BMW which had a number of defects including a broken windscreen, a bald tyre and worn brake discs and was described as being in “a dangerous condition”.

During interview Rankov said he was aware of the cracked windscreen and was planning on getting it fixed in “the near future”.

On July 4 this year police received a report of the defendant sitting in his vehicle near Moyraverty shops and “he appeared to be smoking something”.

Police found the defendant driving on the Knockmenagh Road and pulled the vehicle over. He admitted to having drugs and crack cocaine was inside a white napkin.

"He informed police he was cooking the crack cocaine in his vehicle,” a Prosecutor told the court, adding police found drug paraphernalia in relation to the crack cocaine. The defendant made full admissions to possession of the Class A drug.

The court was told Rankov has no criminal record. His solicitor, Mr John McAtamney revealed his client had approximately £100 of crack cocaine.

He explained Rankov had separated from his partner of 10 years and was sleeping rough in his vehicle.

"The vehicle contained all his worldly possessions including a portable oven, kitchen knives, utensils, clothing,” said Mr McAtamney adding his client had explained his homeless situation to police and volunteered the drugs location to police.

The solicitor said his windscreen had been broken earlier due to an act of vandalism. “He’s a 39-year-old Romanian national who is resident in the UK since 2012 with indefinite leave to remain. He is unemployed at the current time, in receipt of Universal Credit and is registered homeless,” said Mr McAtamney.

"He has long standing addiction issues, for the past 20 years. He tells me he has received treatment in Northern Ireland and England,” he said, adding he has no previous convictions and no points on his full NI licence.

District Judge Michael Ranaghan said it was “unusual” for a man without a criminal record to appear in this court in relation to drug offences.

"Crack cocaine itself presents a real danger to society but also a general physical danger to those who are using it,” he said.

He said he was taking into account his separation, sleeping rough in his car and that he has a nine-year-old child.

"If you want to see that child meaningfully and properly, having a criminal record will interfere with that. Any further offending and you can likely forget about proper contact with your child,” he said.

For possessing crack cocaine Rankov was fined £300 plus £15 Offender Levy. For using a dangerous vehicle he was banned from driving for six weeks and fined £100. He was also given 26 weeks to pay.