A dealer caught with more than a kilo of cannabis told police he didn't think the drug was any different to alcohol, a court has heard. Karl Roberts was arrested after police saw him supplying cannabis to customers from his Carmarthen flat. He later told police he ran his dealing business via Snapchat and made deliveries on foot as he did not drive a car.
A judge said if people spent time in court they would see how harmful cannabis can be to some people's mental health and the drug was "not like having a drink".
READ MORE: Get the latest court cases sent to your email inbox with our Crime & Punishment newsletter
Ashanti-Jade Walton, prosecuting, told Swansea Crown Court that on January 12 this year police on patrol in Carmarthen town centre noticed suspicious activity at flats near the Friar's Park car park with a woman entering the block then leaving just moments later. When the woman was stopped and searched she was found to be carrying 3g of cannabis which she said she had bought from a man called Karl.
The court heard police kept watch on the flats and later saw the defendant Karl Roberts emerge carrying a small package - he walked straight to the open window of a nearby car and an "exchange took place" before he returned to the flats. When the occupants of the car were stopped and searched they were found with 4.8g cannabis.
The prosecutor said officers went to the flat and arrested 25-year-old Roberts, and he told them "I didn't think police cared about cannabis". When the property was searched officers recovered more than 1.1kg of cannabis in various boxes and bags worth up to £12,290 along with "drugs paraphernalia" including scales and mobile phones. The defendant was taken to Ammanford police station and in interview said it was "just weed" and told officers he didn't see it as any different to alcohol. He said he ran his business via the Snapchat messaging app and made deliveries on foot as he did not drive. The court heard the defendant refused to reveal the PINs for his phones but officers were able to access one of the seized devices and on it found messages relating to drug supply.
Karl John Roberts, now of Whitland, Carmarthenshire, had previously pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis with intent to supply when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has no previous convictions.
David Singh, for Roberts, said while the defendant may not recognise the offence in what he was doing, it was an offence nonetheless. He said the defendant was no longer living in Carmarthen, and said it was clear from a letter before the court that a farmer in Whitland had "effectively taken him under his wing" and given him somewhere to live. The barrister invited the court to follow the recommendations in the pre-sentence report.
Judge Geraint Walters said Roberts had been involved in the cannabis business "in a reasonably large way". He said he had read about the defendant's "complex background", his childhood in the care system, and his mental health issues as well as the new life he was now leading living and working on a farm.
The judge noted Roberts had told the author of the pre-sentence report that since stopping his use of cannabis his mental health difficulties had lessened, and he said if people spent time sat where he sat they would see how harmful cannabis can be for some individuals' mental health adding: "Some people's perception of cannabis is that it is just like having a drink - it is not." With a one-third discount for his guilty plea Roberts was sentenced to 10 moths in prison suspended for two years. He must also complete a rehabilitation course and 180 hours of unpaid work.
READ NEXT:
You can sign up to our regular Crime and Punishment newsletter here while this interactive tool allows you to check the latest crime statistics for your area:
