Drug dealer caught out by stench of cannabis from van
A HEROIN dealer was caught with drugs by police officers who smelt cannabis coming from a van he was a passenger in.
Liam Prowse, 22, was riding in a Nissan van in Cardiff when the vehicle was stopped on October 29 due to a lack of working break lights.
After smelling cannabis emanating from the vehicle, officers conducted a search in Ferry Road, Grangetown, which resulted in 8g of cannabis and a 3.7g wrap of heroin being found on the defendant.
A metal tin was also found in the van containing a compressed white powder and a further two bags which were later found to contain heroin weighing 172.g and 450.7g respectively.
A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court heard Prowse was found with more than 600g of heroin in total and was also in possession of £120 in cash and 50 grip seal bags.
His phone was also seized and was found to contain messages relating to “paying off a debt”.
Prosecutor Susan Ferrier said Prowse was involved in “supplying unadulterating heroin to others in the supply chain”.
In his police interview, the defendant claimed he had a cannabis habit and began supplying in order to pay off a debt. Prowse, of Laburnum Drive, Newport, later pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply class A drugs and possession of class B drugs.
In mitigation, Peter Donnison said his client was of previous good character and “regrets” getting involved in supplying drugs.
He said Prowse suffered with his mental health and depression which exacerbated his cannabis addiction and led him to falling into thousands of pounds of debt.
The barrister added: “He was under considerable pressure about how this debt was going to be called in and when the opportunity and offer came to be involved in this case and assist in the drug operation, he took that opportunity to clear his debt.”
Sentencing on Monday, Judge Daniel Williams told the defendant his offending was too serious to be dealt with by anything other than an immediate custodial sentence.
Prowse was sentenced to a total of three years and four months’ imprisonment.