A DRUG user who lured his dealer to a flat in Basingstoke in an attempt to rob him of drugs and money has been detained for more than four years.

Zack Mason hatched a plan for Jordan Clarke to come to the flat in Melrose Walk where he was waiting with Reece and Troy Harkness, before robbing him on January 19, 2022.

The incident led to the death of 22-year-old Troy Harkness, who was found seriously injured in Abbey Road, before he was taken to Basingstoke hospital where he was pronounced dead.

In August last year, Mr Clarke was found not guilty of murdering Troy Harkness.

On Friday, May 15, Mason, of no fixed abode, appeared at Winchester Crown Court to be sentenced for conspiracy to commit robbery. He pleaded guilty just weeks before his trial, having absconded when released on bail. 

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Reece Harkness was acquitted of the same offence during a trial in February.

Prosecutor Tom Wilkins said: “It would seem in the month or so before this plan was put into effect, the defendant accrued a drug debt to his dealer Jordan Clarke.

“Luring Jordan Clarke to the flat in Basingstoke where they were. They all went down and met him (Mr Clarke). There was a group attack involving punching and kicking.”

The court heard that Mr Clarke ended up on the floor. Mr Wilkins continued: “There was kicking and stamping, there were five areas of marking on Jordan Clarke’s jacket which suggested that he had been kicked.”

In mitigation, Rebecca Fairbairn said Mason had “left the scene before kicking appeared to take place”.

Ms Fairbairn continued: “Of course, Mr Clarke was not so affected in any way following this incident, he immediately goes to the flat where Mr Mason had gone into to try and retrieve what he said was his property.”

The court was told that Mason had given Mr Clarke headphones and his girlfriend’s tablet as collateral for drugs.

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Ms Fairbairn stated that there was no suggestion that “there was any coercion or intimidation involving the others, on the contrary, they were quite willing to become involved.”

The court heard that Reece Harkness only became involved in the plan as he was concerned about his brother Troy who was described as a ‘hothead’.

Ms Fairbairn added: “It was, in my submission though, if one is able to step back from the catastrophic consequences that followed, it was a very foolish and childish plan hatched up by someone who was heavily using drugs at that point.”

The Recorder of Winchester, Judge Angela Morris said: “He (Mason) wanted to rob the drugs and the money that Jordan Clarke was clearly carrying because Jordan Clarke was lured around to the premises on the pretext of purchasing more drugs.”

The judge said Mason got the Harkness brothers involved as "muscle", she added: "As the ringleader of this offence it was you who persuaded others to become involved.

"It was as a result of your plan, one of those who was involved died."

Mason was given four years and eight months in a youth detention institution.