A drug user who began dealing in order to fund his own habit was found with more than £1,000 worth of cocaine when police raided his home. He was also found with more than £1,000 in cash.
Michael Cockerill, 43, was visited by police executing a drugs warrant at his home in Bridgend on February 11 last year. In the property they discovered a small quantity of cocaine which was later valued at £1,160. Also found were £1,164 in cash and scales.
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday heard the defendant was arrested but he refused to give police the pin to his phone. His partner was also at the address but denied having anything to do with the cocaine.
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Cockerill, of Queen Street, later pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply cocaine. He was deemed to be a street-level dealer. The court heard he had 13 previous convictions including a conviction for supplying MDMA.
In mitigation Cockerill was said to be a drug user himself and started supplying in order to finance his habit. Since his arrest he had been working as a kitchen porter but had handed in his notice due to the "inevitable" prison sentence he was facing.
Sentencing, Recorder Andrew Hammond said: "This was a thriving operation on your part. The drugs recovered were worth £1,160 and there was a quantity of cash of a similar nature as well. No doubt you knew exactly what you were doing and aware of the harm drugs cause."
Cockerill was sentenced to a total of 28 months imprisonment. He will serve half the sentence in custody before serving the remainder on licence.
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