TWO drug dealers who set up a heroin business in the heart of York have been jailed for more than eight years between them.

Teenager Shona Ann Sharp acted as errand girl for her former lover, 29-year-old John Peter Barlow, as she made repeated drug deals outside their home in Gillygate, York, a jury at York Crown Court heard.

But police were watching, and raided the flat which the pair had made their drug centre. They caught Barlow with more than £800-worth of the drug wrapped in separate street deals.

Jailing Barlow for five years and 19-year-old Sharp for three-and-a-half years today at Hull Crown Court, Judge Michael Mettyear said: "It is one thing to take a decision to ruin your own life and take heroin, it is quite another to trade in heroin and play a part in the ruin of lives of others."

He found it "incomprehensible" that they had not had the sense of plead guilty before their trial last month at York Crown Court, as he could not understand why they would believe that any jury would be "stupid" enough to believe the tale they were telling.

The pair, both living in Gillygate, York, at the time of the offence were, convicted of conspiracy to supply heroin in October 2001.

For Sharp, Chris Tehrani said she was 18 at the time, and apart from a caution had no previous convictions.

In the past, she had had damaging experiences. Since her remand in prison she had come off drugs, refused opportunities to take them inside, and started education courses.

She did not intend to return to York after her sentence, as she had no real contacts there apart from her mother, with whom she had had no contact since the drug dealing came to light.

Last month, the judge told York Crown Court that Sharp's mother had made a statement for the police because she was concerned about her daughter's drug-dealing.

For Barlow, Freddie Apfel said that he was a regular drug-taker and the couple had not corrupted anyone. There was no evidence of them using drug profits for high living.

Updated: 14:53 Monday, August 12, 2002