A Surrey drug dealer who made a run for it after being spotted by police, ended up tripping and going face first into a wall. Franc Zallinja, from Redhill, was driving when officers attempted to pull him over but instead of stopping he got out of the car and tried to run away.
In his bid to escape, 32-year-old Zallinja jumped over a railing, caught his foot and tripped so he smashed his face into a wall. He suffered shocking injuries, with his police mugshot showing his nose and top lip bandaged up as well as plenty of grazes and cuts all over his face.
When they caught up, spotted a pot on the floor next to Zallinja filled with ‘baggies’ of suspected cocaine and arrested him for possession with intent to supply Class A drugs. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a total of 27 months in prison when he appeared at Guildford Crown Court on Wednesday, April 30.
He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £228 and had £590 forfeited under the Misuse of Drugs Act which was donated to the Amber Foundation Charity in Surrey which helps to support young adults to transform their lives.
Arresting officer, PC Oliver Dujardin said: “This outcome demonstrates our commitment to tackling anti-social behaviour and criminality in Redhill, both of which can have a hugely detrimental impact on law-abiding residents. We hope this outcome will serve as a warning that drug dealing will not be tolerated in our community.
“This sentencing is just one part of a much larger goal we are working towards to make Redhill a safer place to live and work, and we have no intention of stopping yet. Over the past year, we’ve made 82 drug seizures in the area, including one as large as 10 kg of suspected cocaine. If you suspect drug dealing in your area, please report to police or you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously via their website or calling 0800 555 111.”
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