Two jailed for supply of Class A drugs
A man found guilty of supplying illegal drugs has been locked up for eight years.
Jake Heath Pascal Bowyer had denied charges of being concerned in the supply of MDMA (ecstasy tablets) and cocaine, both illegal drugs of class A, but was found guilty after a trial at Caernarfon Crown Court.
The 30-year-old, of Elm Road, Liverpool, had also denied being concerned in the supply of Xanax, an anti-depressant drug available only on prescription.
He had admitted importing amphetamine, a controlled drug of Class B, in July 2016.
Bowyer’s co-accused, Gareth Glyn Williams, 27, of Bryn Tyddyn, Criccieth had admitted charges of being concerned in the supply of MDMA and possession of cocaine. He was jailed for 32 months.
Judge Peter Heywood said both men had played significant roles in the supply of drugs and only immediate jail terms were appropriate. He said he took account of the personal circumstances of both men, but he would be failing in his public duty if prison sentences were not passed.
During the trial the jury heard Border Force officers intercepted a package from the Netherlands addressed to Bowyer at his grandfather’s home in Borth y Gest near Porthmadog.
Elen Owen, prosecuting, said the package con- tained a DVD case which had a meth-amphetamine hidden inside valued at up to £660. Bowyer had been arrested in April 2017 and his mobile phone was found to contain a large number of texts indicative of drug supply.
Bowyer told the jury he had been a drug user since the age of 11 when he began smoking cannabis. The abuse of drugs had developed and he had taken amphetamine before moving on to heroin and cocaine.
He claimed he was buying illegal drugs only and was involved in the buying and selling of so-called legal highs. He said laws to prevent widespread
use of these synthetic drugs caused their sale to “go underground”.
The jury heard the messages related to drug supply and one series of messages between Bowyer and Williams referred to the numbers of tablets required. One message suggested “that’s Blaenau (Ffestiniog) sorted then”.
Defence counsel Rick Holland said Bowyer had no previous convictions and was newly married with a young child.
Simon Rogers, for Williams, said his client had fallen into drug misuse after a tragic accident that led to the death of his father. He argued the time spent supplying drugs was just a couple of months and given his background and personal circumstances the court could consider suspending any prison term.