R v Joshua Rennie-Owosu

Facts

The appellant, Joshua Rennie-Owosu, born on 14 December 2004, faced two separate indictments for class A drugs offences in the Crown Court at Maidstone. The first arose from police observations of street dealing in the Luton Arches area of Medway between 5 August and 6 September 2023, when he was 18. A street runner, Poku-Ware, was detained with crack cocaine, heroin and cash; his phone showed the appellant, then living in Croydon, directing him as part of the "Jordan" county lines operation. The appellant was arrested on 26 September 2023, remanded in custody for four weeks, and granted bail on 24 October 2023. An application to dismiss was refused at the end of February 2024, and he pleaded guilty to both counts on 3 July 2025. While on bail awaiting sentence he offended again: on 17 September 2025 his Croydon home was searched and 64 wraps of crack cocaine, diamorphine capable of making 77 wraps, phones marketing the "Audi" line, and £4,755 in cash were found. He pleaded guilty to all five counts on the second indictment on 12 December 2025. On 20 March 2026 Mr Recorder Passmore KC imposed 20 months on the first indictment and 40 months consecutive on the second, a total of five years. The single judge granted leave to appeal against sentence.