A queue of people using a cash machine led police to drug dealers, a court has heard. Eagle-eyed police officers recognised the people waiting to get money from the machine as known drug users, and following them led police to a car being used by dealers offering cocaine, crack, ketamine and heroin.
Jailing dealers Kelly Hopkins and Sion Harrison, a judge at Swansea Crown Court told them he was not going to lecture them, but said he hoped they would come to understand the harm drugs were doing to communities in Swansea.
Megan Williams, prosecuting, told the court that on the night of October 24 this year officers on patrol in Swansea’s High Street saw a group of known drug users withdrawing money from a cash machine outside the CK shop opposite the railway station. She said that as officers kept watch, the group made their way to nearby Tontine Street where they approached a car. You can sign up for all the latest court stories here
Officers saw what they believed to be drugs transactions taking place between the group and the occupants of the vehicle, and they moved in, reports Wales Online.
Police arrested the driver of the car, Hopkins, and her rear seat passenger, Harrison, with two other occupants. Hopkins was searched and found to have five wraps of heroin and 32 pregabalin tablets. While in the car officers found a plastic tub containing white rocks, three phones, and “drugs paraphernalia”, including weighing scales.
Officers examined the seized phones and found texts and Facebook messages relating to the supply of drugs. In their interviews, Hopkins and Harrison answered “no comment” to all questions asked.
Kelly Hopkins, aged 35, of Myrddin Road, Bonymaen, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine, being concerned in the supply of heroin, being concerned in the supply of cocaine, being concerned in the supply of ketamine, possession of crack with intent to supply, and possession of heroin with intent to supply when she appeared in the dock for sentencing. She has 10 previous convictions for eight offences including six of the simple possession of drugs.
Sion Harrison, aged 27, of Llys y Vetch, Sandfields, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine, being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine, and possession of crack cocaine with intent to supply when he appeared in the dock alongside the co-defendant. He has no previous convictions.
Andrew Evans, for Hopkins, said the defendant was a young woman who had been “embroiled in the drugs scene in Swansea for many years” with her first drug conviction going back to when she was aged just 15.
He described his client as the “archetypal user-dealer” who was dealing to fund her own habit, and he said she had been “ravaged” by her addiction. The advocate added that the physical change in his client since she had been remanded into custody following her arrest and been eating properly and not taking controlled substances was “obvious to see”.
John Allchurch, for Harrison, said the defendant had been working as the head chef at a cafe in the Port Tennant area of the city but after being let go due to financial problems at the business he had effectively became homeless and turned to sofa surfing with friends.
He said they were his instructions that Harrison started taking cocaine due to peer pressure on nights out in Swansea, drug use which he said quickly led to an addiction to cocaine and crack.
The advocate said Harrison had signed-up to do the 12 Steps addiction programme and “his ambition is to be drug free”. Judge Huw Rees told the defendants he was not going to lecture them but said he hoped they would come to understand the harm drugs were doing to communities in Swansea.
With one-third discounts for her guilty pleas, Hopkins was sentenced to 40 months in prison, and with one-quarter discounts for his guilty pleas, Harrison was sentenced to 45 months in prison. The defendants will serve up to half the sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.
The court heard that the other two occupants of the car arrested at the same time as the defendants were released with no further action being taken.
Speaking after the sentencing, South Wales Police sergeant Luke Tucker said: “Sion Harrison and Kelly Hopkins both chose to involve themselves in Class A drug dealing as a means of illegal financial gain.
“Their guilty pleas and sentences show that the temporary financial boost was not worth it. These Class A drugs cause untold damage to the local community – and two drug dealers going to prison makes the community better off.”
