Spice dealer tried to flee through flat window
A SPICE dealer tried to flee through the window of a flat as police forced their way in through the front door, a court has heard.
Zackery Griffiths was caught with more than 100 deals of a synthetic cannabinoid, and a phone full of messages about buying and selling the drug. Some of the conversations on the phone were between the defendant and a dealer who was apparently working for him in which Griffiths told his contact to work hard that week and “slam the packs out”.
Swansea Crown Court that in October 2020 police executed a search warrant at a flat in Ystradgynlais in the Swansea Valley.
Sian Cutter, prosecuting, told the court that as officers forced entry to the property, Griffiths was seen trying to climb out of a rear window.
The defendant was detained and returned to the flat where signs of drug use such as burnt spoons were visible.
Also in the flat were 117 gold-coloured packages containing a synthetic cannabinoid, a drug commonly referred to as spice, worth £20 each along with a small amount of heroin. When Griffiths was searched he was found to be carrying half a gram of cannabis.
The court heard the defendant’s phone was seized and examined, and officers found messages between Griffiths and a number of people including contacts with whom supplying spice was discussed.
In one of the conversations Griffiths told a contact who appeared to be working for him that he needed “the packs on the streets and the cash coming in” and he told the other person to “work hard this week and slam the packs out”.
The prosecutor said in another conversation there were references to spice by the kilo, while in another to “bagging up 350” which seemed to refer to the overall number of deals Griffiths had of which the 117 recovered by police formed the remaining stock waiting to be sold.
Zackery Griffiths, of Station Road, Llanelli, had previously pleaded guilty to possession of spice with intent to supply, and to the simple possession of heroin and cannabis when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.
He has 15 previous drug offences on his record including possession of amphetamine with intent to supply, and supplying heroin. He was out of prison on licence at the time of his arrest in Ystradgynlais, and was recalled back to prison to serve the rest of that earlier sentence.
Gerald Hillman, for Griffiths, said in 2020 the defendant was himself an addict but that with help and support he had now been drug-free for a year.
With a 20% discount for his guilty pleas Recorder Neil Owen-Casey sentenced Griffiths to a total of 20 months in prison.