Prison offered a way out of crime, says the former drug dealer

A man jailed for his part in a multi-million pound drug trafficking operation has spoken of how his time in prison gave him an “escape” from the criminal lifestyle.

Christian O'Reilly was sentenced to four years in prison for drug offenses in 2012 but now runs a wedding photography business.

“Being in so deep, I can't put into words how difficult it is to get out of a deal like this – prison was my way out,” said Christian, 37, from Mountain Ash, Rhondda Cynon Taf, who died in 2013 after the Half of her sentence was released.

Advocates are calling for greater public understanding of the complex reasons why people commit crimes and say employment is important to prevent recidivism.

Before he started dealing drugs, Christian had a well-paying job in engineering, but one night when he went out, things started to change.

“I fell into the wrong group. I take full responsibility for what I did. I was a big boy, but I hit a dead end,” he said.

After making good money from the drugs, he quit his job and said he had “moved up the corporate ladder,” from small-time dealer to importer.

But he said when he was arrested he was relieved.

“I hated that lifestyle – I always had to worry about what was to come. I always knew I was going to get caught, so I was always nervous,” he said.

Christian said when the prison door closed it was “the lowest point of my life,” but that feeling was also mixed with relief “that it was all over.”

Figures show that between July and September 2022 – the latest date available – 26.2% of adults relapsed within a year.

This was a slight increase from the previous year, but part of an overall decline from more than 30% a decade earlier.

Samantha Graham, CEO of Clean Sheet, which helps people with convictions find work, said employment was an important factor in reducing reoffending.

“It provides dignity, community and a way to move forward that helps reduce the risk of reoffending,” she said.

She added that the reasons for offending are often complex – due to mental health issues, addictions, housing insecurity and relationship breakdowns – but that the majority “want to turn their backs on what is often the lowest period of their lives”.

Ms Graham said much was being done to improve employment opportunities for people coming out of prison, including employment councils.

But she said it was also important to “change the public narrative about people with convictions.”

She said the prevailing opinion can sometimes be: “Once a criminal, always a criminal.”

“It doesn’t take into account real life – that people make mistakes or sometimes do terrible things. That many people regret their actions and never want to go back,” she said.

Christian had been jailed for his involvement in a gang that attempted to bring £1.7million worth of cannabis from Spain to Wales – and his journey to becoming a wedding photographer began in the prison library.

Determined to keep his mind focused amid the monotony of prison, he picked up a book called “The Art of Photography” – considered by some to be a classic of the genre.

“In prison, everything is hyperfocused because you have nothing else to distract you, and I read it from start to finish,” Christian said.

He said his father was an amateur photographer and the two developed photos together when he was younger.

“I was obsessed with photography – although of course I didn’t have a camera in prison,” he said.

After serving half of his sentence – in Cardiff and Parc prisons – Christian was released in March 2013, a day he still remembers clearly.

“I stared at a wall all day for two years, and now suddenly everything became beautiful,” he said.

After learning about photography in prison, he bought his first DSLR camera – something he had no previous experience with – and began taking photos, including at his sister's wedding.

“I posted a few photos online and got a lot of comments, and I was so excited about it that I wanted to continue,” he said.

In 2018, he founded his company Fire & Ice and met his wife Yaki through his work.

“Now I can travel the world and do what I love with the person I love,” he said.

When asked what advice he would give to someone thinking about entering the world of drugs, he urged them to “really think about what they want to do.”

“Get out of this situation – walk away if you can and just get out of whatever bubble you might be in,” he said.

“And when you get caught up, always focus on the positive and take each day as it comes and work towards your goal,” he said.