Drug dealer who waved knife at ex-partner jailed

The court heard police had carried out a search warrant at the home of his girlfriend’s parents – where he had been staying – on 14 October 2024.

The search uncovered £3,686 worth of cannabis resin, £2,766 of cannabis bush and ketamine worth between £9,724 and £12,155.

When arrested. Wright is said to have told officers: “Everything is mine.”

The court heard Wright’s girlfriend and her parents were also arrested on suspicion of drugs offences during the raid but were later released without charge.

The large volume of messages found on Wright’s phone indicated he had been supplying cannabis between late December 2023 and 4 October 2024.

The court heard that in one exchange about a drugs debt with someone known only as Z-Dog, Wright had threatened to “smash your head in”.

Prosecutors said the messages had also shown that Wright had others selling drugs for him, indicating he “might not be at the bottom of the pile” in the supply chain.

The court heard Wright had also confronted a man who had hugged his girlfriend in the Outback nightclub, in Douglas, on the night of 4 May 2025 before throwing a glass at his head.

The 18-year-old, who had known the woman from school, said in a victim impact statement that he had suffered headaches after the attack and had become anxious about going out.

The court heard that on 14 May, Wright’s ex-girlfriend and her mother had gone to his home in Douglas to retrieve her bank card, which Wright had used to launder drugs money.

He refused to hand it over before going back into the house to get a kitchen knife which he then waved “aggressively” at the women before the police were called and arrested him.

Wright pleaded guilty to the unlawful supply of cannabis, possession of cannabis bush, cannabis resin and ketamine with intent to supply, actual bodily harm, threatening or abusive behaviour, and possessing a knife in a public place.

The court heard Wright had an “unenviable” record of prior convictions, which included violence, and had been in breach of a suspended sentence for previous drugs charges when some of the offences were committed.

Passing sentence, Deemster Graeme Cook said Wright had shown “no remorse” for attacking the man in the nightclub and his drug dealing had led to “three innocent people being arrested”.