Teenage cocaine dealer given suspended jail term

THE father of a teenage cocaine dealer bought drug testing kits from the internet to test his son after his arrest, a court has heard.

Callum Rhys Hughes was caught with a stash of the drug in a Swansea nightclub – but no money. When asked where his takings for the evening were, he said “business is slow”.

Following his arrest, the student was then subjected to routine urine tests by his father in a bid to keep him on the straight and narrow.

Swansea Crown Court heard that in June security staff at the city’s Sin City club became suspicious of 18-year-old Hughes’ behaviour.

Tom Scapens, prosecuting, said when the defendant was searched he was found to have 20 wraps of cocaine and one of ketamine in the back pocket of his jeans.

Police were called, and the defendant’s mobile phone was seized and his house searched.

Nothing was found at his home address but an examination of the mobile revealed two deleted text messages relating to dealing, including one bulk text the defendant had sent to 21 contacts.

In his subsequent interview, Hughes told officers he had been selling cocaine to friends and associates “for a couple of months” to make extra money, and to fund his own use of the drug.

He said he contacted customers via texts on the messaging app Snapchat, and accepted payment in cash, bank transfers or by online system PayPal.

Hughes, now aged 19, of Cilonnen Road, Three Crosses, Gower, had previously pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to supply, and to the simple possession of ketamine when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.

The court heard he has no previous convictions.

David Singh, for Hughes, said following the defendant’s arrest his father had bought drug kits online, and the teenager had been subject to twice-weekly urine tests at home. The defendant has also been voluntarily attending the drugs agency Dyfodol.

The barrister said the defendant was a young man of previous good character who provided a high degree of support for his seriously ill father, and who had made, on his own acceptance, “a terrible error of judgement” in becoming involved with drugs. He invited the court to take the “wholly exceptional” course of not imposing immediate custody.

Judge Paul Thomas QC told the defendant it was a “very difficult” case to sentence, given his personal and family circumstances.

He said given the defendant’s age, his lack of previous convictions, his caring responsibilities, his voluntary attendance at Dyfodol, and the guidelines on suspended sentences he was prepared not to send the defendant straight to prison.

Hughes was sentenced to two years, suspended for two years, and must complete 200 hours of unpaid work, a rehabilitation course, and a six-month drug referral requirement.