A phone found on a teenager was linked to a county lines drug gang, a court has heard.

When officers examined the phone, they discovered 9,700 calls had been made or received between September and October 2018.

Now Perry Mulholland, 19, from Melbourne Road, Chatham, has been jailed for three and a half years for drug dealing.

Maidstone Crown Court heard how the teenager - who had already been stabbed during a feud between gangs - had the Nokia phone in his pocket when officers raided a house in Castle Road.

Prosecutor Christiaan Moll said some of the calls made by the phone were advertising the sale of heroin and cocaine by members of a Chatham drugs gang.

Judge Adele Williams told him that being involved in the supply of Class A drugs was a "great mischief in our society today".

"And those who become involved should know they face nothing but a custodial sentence."

Mulholland carried out the deals while he was subject to a suspended jail sentence.

In December 2016 he was run over by two cars at least six times as he lay defenceless on the ground.

"There was a wealth of evidence linking Mulholland to numerous drug deals and we were able to prove in court that he was a key offender in this drugs supply network" - Robin Hemsley

He was also stabbed during the attack in Upbury Way, Chatham, which was said to be the climax of a long-running feud over a girl.

Investigating Officer Detective Constable Robin Hemsley said: "This was an unusual case as there was no significant seizure of drugs when we arrested the offender.

"There was however a wealth of evidence linking Mulholland to numerous drug deals and we were able to prove in court that he was a key offender in this drugs supply network.

"This was an extensive investigation and I am confident the sentence will send a message to those intent on dealing in drugs in Kent that we will be one step ahead of them and use every available resource to us to put them before the courts."

His brother Alfie was also jailed for drug dealing and was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court yesterday.

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