City centre dealer seen selling drugs on CCtV
A DRUG dealer was caught on CCTV dealing cocaine before being searched by police who found wraps of drugs.
He was also found to have sent out so-called “text bombs” advertising Class A drugs.
Luis Thomas, 20, was seen in Cardiff city centre on November 28 last year when he was picked up by a CCTV operator at around noon.
Another man was seen passing cash to the defendant, who was riding a bike, and the other man was seen placing something in a pipe while sitting on a table outside a cafe.
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court heard Thomas was seen again taking money from another man in the same location.
The customer was later seen trying to break something up and placed it in a pipe.
Police were called and Thomas was identified and searched.
He was found in possession of four wraps of cocaine and a black Nokia mobile phone and £150 in cash.
The defendant was taken to Cardiff Bay police station and was found to be wearing three pairs of trousers. In the second pair of trousers police found a lock knife.
Prosecutor Tim Evans said the phone was examined and a block message was discovered which had been sent that morning.
The four wraps were weighed and found to contain 16.2g of cocaine with a street value of between £700 and £900.
Mr Evans said Thomas would have expected significant financial gain and had told police he had not been coerced into drug dealing.
Thomas, of Harlech Road, Rumney, Cardiff, later pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to supply and possession of a bladed article.
The court heard he had previous convictions for offences including theft and possession of a bladed article.
In mitigation, the court was told Thomas presented with learning difficulties from a young age and became involved in drug dealing due to his “naivete”.
The defendant was said to have had no influence above others in the chain and used the proceeds of his crimes to pay off a £1,600 debt.
Recorder Sean Bradley sentenced Thomas to two years and eight months’ imprisonment.
He will serve half of the sentence in custody before being released on licence.