Drug dealer had a samurai sword
A YOUNG drug dealer, caught with £1,500-worth of heroin and crack cocaine at a Derbyshire flat, was found with more heroin just two months later.
Derby Crown Court heard how mobile phones belonging to Jayven Ward also had mass marketing messages on them proving he was selling to users on the streets. They included him offering “three for £20” for both heroin and crack cocaine.
But after he was arrested and bailed at the first flat, police found him again at a second address with nearly £800worth of the same Class A substances.
Jailing the 23-year-old for two years and eight months, Judge Shaun Smith QC said: “You willingly became involved in drug dealing at a street level and putting drugs on the streets is a serious matter.
“I am satisfied it was not your operation – far from it. But after being caught in March and bailed, just two months later you were doing exactly the same thing and that makes it a much more serious case.”
Sarah Slater, prosecuting, said the offending took place in the spring of 2018.
She said on March 15, police went to an address in Winster Square, Buxton and inside it they found Ward.
Miss Slater said there was a quantity of £20 notes at his feet and a large samurai-type sword on the floor.
She said: “During a search of the property, the police found a large quantity of both crack cocaine and heroin near to Ward or behind the sofa in a glass jar. In total they seized 40 wraps of crack cocaine, a total weight of 2.38g and 66 wraps of heroin, a total weight of 11.62g.”
Miss Slater said the total value of what was discovered could have fetched more than £1,500 on the streets.
Ward, of Peak Bank, Bredbury, Stockport, was arrested and released on bail.
Miss Slater said that, on May 9, officers went to an address in Victoria Park Road, in Fairfield, Buxton, and inside they found Ward. She said he jumped up from a settee and threw a bag on the floor which was recovered.
Miss Slater said: “There was a coffee table in between two settees. On the table was a bag of brown powder, a smaller bag of white powder and a cannabis joint, rolls of cling film and digital scales.
“The items from the table were recovered and confirmed to contain one bag of heroin weighing 6.29g which had a potential street value of £440. These was also a £10 deal of cocaine and 32 x £10 deals of crack cocaine.”
Ward pleaded guilty to a number of counts of possession with intent to supply both Class A drugs. He has no similar previous convictions.
Mark Connor, mitigating, said his client had not been in trouble since these offences some two and a half years ago and had suffered personal tragedy in the death of a baby aged just eight days old.
He said: “He was bullied into carrying out this operation.”