Dealer caught with £2,500 of cannabis in car

A DRUG dealer was caught with cannabis worth more than £2,500 in his car after acting suspiciously outside a pub.

Stefan Ross, 25, from Caerphilly, told police he started dealing after losing his job, but they found evidence he had been dealing for much longer.

Cardiff Crown Court heard officers could smell cannabis when they arrested the defendant and he accepted: “I did have a spliff earlier today.”

Rachel Knight, prosecuting, said the offending occurred between April 30 and November 1 last year.

The court heard police spotted Ross “acting suspiciously” near the Highfields pub on Heol Pant Y Deri, Cardiff, at about 6pm on October 30.

Prosecutors said he pulled away in a dark-coloured BMW on to Heol Trelai, before driving into a deadend.

Ms Knight said: “He got out and spoke to the officers. They could smell cannabis.”

Ross told them: “I did have a spliff earlier today.”

The court heard a “large quantity” of cannabis was found in his car, amounting to 276g with a potential street value of up to £2,560.

Police also found digital scales in the car, commonly used by drug dealers.

His phone was seized and found to contain “tick lists” showing he had 13 clients and was owed more than £4,000.

Ms Knight said: “The defendant was clearly part of a busy and active chain.”

Ross told police he started dealing in June “to make ends meet” but they found evidence indicating he had been dealing for longer than that.

Prosecutors said he was a midlevel dealer supplying multiple ounce deals.

Ross, from Bronmynnyd in Abertridwr, Caerphilly, admitted supplying cannabis and possessing cannabis with intent to supply.

Prosecutors said he had been before the courts twice before – once for assault occasioning actual bodily harm and once for criminal damage.

Adam Sharp, defending, stressed his client had no relevant previous convictions.

He said: “This represents a very serious escalation in offending.”

Mr Sharp told the court his client, who works in a bakery, was introduced to cannabis as a teenager.

Judge Eleri Rees noted his offending went beyond street dealing.

She said: “This kind of drug dealing calls for one sentence and that is an immediate custodial sentence.”

Ross was jailed for 20 months and there will be a hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act on June 1.