Kalem Riley was told he’d “let his parents down”
Kalem Riley(Image: Merseyside Police)
A judge posed a poignant question to a teenager as he was locked up over his activities on Instagram. Kalem Riley used his account on the social media platform to advertise cocaine, ketamine and hallucinogenic 2CB for sale to his followers.
Others sitting above him in the criminal hierarchy were said to have “leant upon” him to post such messages in return for free drugs, the 18-year-old having been abusing substances since the age of 13. He was today told he had “let his parents down”, but was asked a question which he was “invited to think about in custody”.
Liverpool Crown Court heard this afternoon, Thursday, that Riley, of Lyme Grove in Huyton, used his Instagram profile to post adverts for the sale of the illicit class A and B substances to his 484 followers over the course of the account’s nine-month lifespan. After the teen was identified as being responsible for the page, a quantity of “bash”, or cutting agents used to adulterate drugs and generate greater profits, was seized from his bedroom when police raided his mum’s house.
But officers were unable to accurately estimate the extent of the defendant’s involvement due to the relevant posts “vanishing”, having been apparently been posted to his Instagram story. Henry Riding, prosecuting, added: “The crown cannot put its finger on just how much drug dealing was going on in this case.”
Riley has several previous convictions for possession of cannabis during 2024 and 2025. Suzanne Payne, defending, told the court: “He was a user of ketamine and cocaine. He was asked by others to use his Instagram account to advertise drugs to users. He was told that he would receive his drugs for free.
“He was naïve, immature and, perhaps, exploited. He is still young. In my respectful submission, his lack of education and support from outside agencies has resulted in a potential lack of self worth and self esteem. He is considered by the police to be a vulnerable person. He had no influence on those above him in the chain.
“He has shown insight into his drug use. He also understands the effect it is having on other people. It is suggested that he should undertake an assessment for autism and ADHD. His time in custody has left a stark impression upon him.”
Riley admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine, 2CB and ketamine. Appearing via video link to HMP Liverpool wearing a black long sleeved Hugo Boss top, he was handed 27 months in a young offenders’ institute.
Sentencing, Judge David Swinnerton said: “You are still only 18 years of age but you have convictions for 10 previous offences, all of which are from 2024 and 2025. As you have reached your late teens, you have been getting into a lot of trouble.
“Some are directly drug related. There is also possession of a bladed article which you had in a bag at a time when you also had cannabis, and I suspect that was connected to those drugs, and a conviction for affray.
“You have been subject to a referral order, a youth rehabilitation order and a community order. None of that has, unfortunately, done much good. Shortly after that youth rehabilitation order was imposed, you continued to offend by advertising for sale, over your Instagram account, class A and B drugs. Ketamine is a particularly terrible scourge on young people in our city at the moment.
“The prosecution accept that you got yourself into debt as a result of your own drug use. You have been using drugs since the age of 13. That is a sad thing to hear. So, by the age of 18, you were addicted to drugs.
“You were leant upon, as is so often the case with vulnerable young people, to assist those who were making huge amounts of money from the sale of drugs. Your benefit was free drugs for you. You contributed by advertising and passing on the number of the graft line for those telling you to do it.
“You are still only 18. You have not had a previous custodial sentence. Because of your age and vulnerability, you were leant upon to assist them while they made a lot of money by the misery they peddle from selling drugs.
“Unless you want to spend most of your life in prison because you come out and carry on dealing drugs, take the help and see if you can turn your life around. Your parents talk of a different side to you. You have let them down.
“You are very much loved by your parents, who continue to support you. Not every young man who appears in my courtroom has that sort of support from their family, so use it. Think yourself lucky that they are there for you, because not everybody has that.
“Take the help that you can get. You are at an age where you have to make a choice. Are you going to run with drug dealers and go in and out of prison, or are you going to change your life? I invite you to think about that for the next few months as you sit in custody.”