A drug dealer led police to a huge 'lump' of cocaine after being caught dealing cannabis on a Cardiff street, a court has heard. Mohammed Ali, 31, was found to be keeping a block of the Class A drug worth thousands of pounds locked away in his room, with his family unaware of his offending.
Police officers searching his room also discovered expensive pairs of trainers and a designer jacket worth over £1,000, despite the defendant only earning £500 a month from his job at McDonald's.
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Ali, of Monmouth Street, Grangetown, appeared at Newport Crown Court for sentencing on January 27 having pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to supply and supplying cannabis at a pre-trial preparation hearing.
The court heard that on November 24, officers from South Wales Police's organised crime team were on patrol in the Clare Road area of Grangetown and had walked down Wedmore Road when they saw an Asian male carrying a small package. The man - later found to be Ali - then passed the package to another man sat in a silver Renault Clio that was parked on the street.
After police caught him passing the package into the window of the vehicle, they detained Ali and the man in the car before searching both of them. The two men denied knowing each other, but a search of the defendant's mobile phone revealed that messages had been sent between them.
The package was found to contain cannabis, while Ali was also found to have £370 in cash on his person. When asked why he was carrying that amount around with him, he claimed that it was actually around £300 and he had just withdrawn it from the bank.
Officers then attended his house on nearby Monmouth Street to carry out a search of the premises. They were allowed into the property by the defendant's mother and led to his bedroom, which was locked with a "Chubb-style lock". Ali later confirmed that nobody else had access to the room other than him.
Once they obtained access to the room, officers discovered a large block of cocaine in a green plastic bag, as well as a "significant amount" of drug paraphernalia including zip lock bags and scales. An amount of hash was also found at the property.
A search of the defendant's room also uncovered expensive pairs of trainers and a Moncler jacket worth around £1,000. The court heard that Ali worked at a branch of McDonald's in Cardiff city centre and was paid around £500 a month.
The block of cocaine was found to weigh 88.3g. It was estimated that this would be worth between £2,649 and £4,400, with a gram being sold at street level for between £30 and £50. Prosecutor Alex Greenwood added that this amount "far exceeded" that of personal use
Ali has 10 previous convictions for 26 offences, including those for drugs charges. Byron Broadstock, defending Ali, said he was a "street dealer principally engaged in dealing cannabis" and the cocaine found in his house had not been sold, instead remaining in "one lump" in his room.
While he acknowledged his client's previous convictions, he said that there had been little offending on his part since 2013. "There has been some," he added. "But it has slowed significantly."
He went on to say that Ali had been affected by two tragic events in his life, namely the death of his brother while in custody and the death of his child. The defendant was said to have used drugs to cope with the stress, pain and anxiety caused by these bereavements and was dealing them to fund his habit.
Mr Broadstock added that the defendant's offences had come as a "great shock" to his family, who "thought his offending was behind him." They were "concerned and anxious" about him being held in custody after the loss of his brother.
Sentencing Ali, Recorder Sean Bradley said that while the defendant had exhibited a "worrying pattern of offending," he conceded that "there are gaps in it," with the offences "triggered by very sad events". However, he added that these offences were so serious that only an immediate custodial sentence could be justified.
The 31-year-old was sentenced to three years and six months imprisonment, having received a 25 percent discount on the basis of his guilty plea. He will also be subject to paying a statutory surcharge and a forfeiture and destruction order, which will be dealt with administratively if agreed or at a Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) hearing if not.
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