John Terry's father spared jail over drug case 'entrapment'

Edward Terry, of Chafford Hundred, Essex, admitted supplying 3.5 grammes of the class A drug to a News of the World journalist, who was posing as a chauffeur, last November.

But Judge Christopher Mitchell said: "It is a very, very clear case of entrapment solely to create a newspaper story."

Terry, who is in his mid-50s, was sentenced to a suspended prison term of six months at Basildon Crown Court. He was also ordered to do 100 hours of community service and pay 95 costs.

The court heard that journalist Dan Sanderson befriended Terry at a wine bar he frequented near his home over a six-week period last autumn.

The reporter struck up a relationship with him, visiting the establishment three or four times a week between September and November 2009.

Paul Scothern, prosecuting, said: "Employees of a national newspaper decided to mount what was in effect a sting operation against Mr Terry to ascertain whether he could or would supply class A drugs."

At about 5.30pm on November 5, Mr Sanderson went to the bar with two of his colleagues, who he claimed were his boss and his boss's friend.

Chatting to Terry and others in the bar in a conversation he was recording, the journalist said he had to entertain the two men, who wanted to visit a lap-dancing venue.

He said he wanted to obtain some cocaine for the men and asked Terry if knew where he could source the drug, the court heard. Terry pointed out someone in the bar whom Mr Sanderson went to talk to, but the reporter then returned and said a deal was not possible.

Terry then suggested Mr Sanderson approach a doorman at the proposed lap-dancing venue but the reporter was not satisfied with this either.

Mr Scothern told the court: "Then Terry said 'I can supply. How much do you want?"'

Mr Sanderson said he wanted three grammes of cocaine, Terry assured him of the quality of the product and a fee of 120 was agreed.

Terry asked for a payment for facilitating the deal and the reporter gave him 40.

Terry then left the bar and returned about 15 minutes later with the cocaine and the deal was done in the men's toilets, Mr Scothern said.

Lawyer Neil Saunders, mitigating, described it as a "highly unusual, if not quite exceptional sort of case".

He told the court: "That this journalist acted as an agent provocateur is quite clear.

"Mr Terry would not have acted in the way he did and committed this offence but for being enticed by the journalist who befriends Mr Terry, meets with him on a couple of dozen occasions at the minimum, simply for a tabloid story because of Mr Terry's younger son."

Unemployed Terry had been at a party that day and had already drunk eight pints of beer before meeting the reporter.

He was described as a man of good character who had been weakened by alcohol and was now remorseful.

His footballer son gave him a glowing reference, the court heard, describing him as "the kind of father a son would have wanted as a young, aspiring football player".