Two teenage cocaine dealers were caught when police swooped on their BMW as it was parked outside a corner shop, a court has heard. Officers found a stash of coke in the Beamer along with mobile phones full of incriminating messages.
Locking up Daniel Llewelyn and Ashley Davies, a judge said it was clear from everything he had read and heard about the defendants that they came from supportive families, and had not been brought up to be involved in drugs. He said while cocaine may be seen as "cool" and socially acceptable by some, it was an "insidious and powerful drug of abuse".
Swansea Crown Court heard that in November last year police in the Brynhyfryd area of Swansea approached a BMW car which was parked outside the convenience store on the corner of Sydney Street and Eaton Road.
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Craig Jones, prosecuting, said police spoke to the male in the car, Llewelyn, and then to Davies when he emerged from the shop to join his friend. The vehicle was searched, and in a black sock officers found wraps containing white powder and small white rocks while in the driver's footwell officers found 10 zip-lock bags containing another 32g of cocaine. Also recovered from the car and from the defendants were a number of mobile phones containing messages relating to drug dealing, and £210 in cash.
Daniel Francis Llewelyn, now aged 20, of Vicarage Lane, Cwmdu, Swansea had previously pleaded guilty to the simple possession of cocaine and been convicted at trial of being concerned in the supply of cocaine when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has one previous conviction for one offence, that of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Ashley Davies, aged 18, of Weig Face Lane, Fforestfach, Swansea, had previous pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine and to possession of cocaine with intent to supply when he appeared alongside his co-defendant. He has one previous conviction for one offence, that of criminal damage.
David Singh, for Llewelyn, said his client's role could be described as a facilitator, linking people who wanted to buy drugs with those able to supply - in particular a person known as "Chuckie" - and he said the defendant had not supplied cocaine directly to users.
Stephen Thomas, for Davies, said the defendant came from a supportive and hard-working environment who, from an early age, had worked on the family farm. He said following a serious accident on the farm Davies had turned to cannabis for pain relief, and had then "foolishly" moved on to cocaine, a drug habit which left him in debt and which led to him becoming involved in supply. The barrister said his client had been using his time on remand in prison constructively by learning new skills, and said when released from the inevitable prison sentence he was facing he wants to become a HGV lorry driver and to "settle down with his partner and start a family".
Judge Huw Rees said it was clear from everything he had read and heard about the defendants that they came from "good and supportive families", and had not been brought up to get involved in drugs. He told the pair they had been "incredibly stupid" to ignore that solid background and upbringing they had been given.
The judge said the defendants, and other young people like them, needed to understand that cocaine was an "insidious and powerful drug of abuse".
He told them: You may have thought it was socially acceptable to use cocaine - that it was 'cool' to do so. That it would be the same as going down the pub for a drink. It is nothing but anti-social. It is an insidious drug and powerful drug of abuse. It is a blight on society, very much so here in Swansea. That is what makes your offending so serious."
Llewelyn was sentenced to a total of 24 months detention in a young offenders institution, and Davies to 27 months. The defendants will serve up to half those periods in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.
Sending the pair down, the judge said: "It gives me no pleasure to send boys from your background to these sentences."
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