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Pennant's Dad Jailed For Drug-Dealing
Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant's father is beginning a prison sentence.
Dec 12, 2008 7:29:17 PM
The father of Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant has been jailed for four years for dealing drugs.
Gary Pennant, 44, was secretly filmed selling crack cocaine and heroin to an undercover journalist from the News of the World, Nottingham crown court were told on Friday.
Pennant, of Nottingham, whose 25-year-old son Jermaine is currently on the fringes of the Liverpool first-team, earlier admitted one count of dealing crack cocaine and another of dealing heroin.
The Guardian reports that the court heard how a crack user was paid £2,000 by the News of the World after tipping them off that they could buy drugs from Pennant.
Michael Evans, defending, told the court: "He does feel upset about this matter as it has come about because someone has obviously stood to gain financially and Mr Pennant was targeted because of his association with his son."
He added: "He, along with many others, took crack but he was not responsible for supplying people who came to his flat.
"He feels that he has let his son down by being in court in relation to this matter."
Jailing Pennant, Judge David Price said: "On the evidence that I have heard and seen from the papers, you were willing to sell to all who came to you. You are clearly a drug addict and have been for several years."
Jermaine Pennant, who joined Liverpool from Birmingham, began his career with Notts County before a high-profile, big-money transfer to Arsenal. While with the Gunners he had loan spells with Watford and Leeds United, and in 2005 he had to play a match for Birmingham while on probation, wearing an electronic tag, after a drunk-driving conviction.
--Mark Hinton, Goal.com
Gary Pennant, 44, was secretly filmed selling crack cocaine and heroin to an undercover journalist from the News of the World, Nottingham crown court were told on Friday.
Pennant, of Nottingham, whose 25-year-old son Jermaine is currently on the fringes of the Liverpool first-team, earlier admitted one count of dealing crack cocaine and another of dealing heroin.
The Guardian reports that the court heard how a crack user was paid £2,000 by the News of the World after tipping them off that they could buy drugs from Pennant.
Michael Evans, defending, told the court: "He does feel upset about this matter as it has come about because someone has obviously stood to gain financially and Mr Pennant was targeted because of his association with his son."
He added: "He, along with many others, took crack but he was not responsible for supplying people who came to his flat.
"He feels that he has let his son down by being in court in relation to this matter."
Jailing Pennant, Judge David Price said: "On the evidence that I have heard and seen from the papers, you were willing to sell to all who came to you. You are clearly a drug addict and have been for several years."
Jermaine Pennant, who joined Liverpool from Birmingham, began his career with Notts County before a high-profile, big-money transfer to Arsenal. While with the Gunners he had loan spells with Watford and Leeds United, and in 2005 he had to play a match for Birmingham while on probation, wearing an electronic tag, after a drunk-driving conviction.
--Mark Hinton, Goal.com
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