Jail for Black Country drug dealers caught with Class A haul in Telford
A former university student and his accomplice caught with drugs worth more than £1,000 have been jailed for almost five years in total.
Justin Green and Kofi Telfer were arrested in a Telford street after police were given a tip-off, Shrewsbury Crown Court heard.
About 85 wraps of cocaine and heroin – with an estimated street value of £1,000 – and three mobile phones were seized following a search of Green’s car in Castlefields Way, Madeley.
Some of the drugs were concealed in a spare tyre.
Mr Kevin Jones, prosecuting, said: “The facts of the case are relatively simple and it’s an offence of some age.
"It was on December 20, 2016 at 10.30pm when officers stopped a vehicle belonging to Green.
“As a result of information they conducted a search and found wraps of drugs in Telfer’s coat pockets.
"An initial search uncovered eight heroin wraps and 57 cocaine wraps.
“A further search uncovered 20 heroin wraps valued at £200. The police officers also recovered two mobile phones from Telfer and one from Green.
“Telfer had evidence to suggest that he was dealing in order to call in a debt. He came to Telford to do it and he would say that he was dealing in a lesser role.
“They travelled out of their area into Shropshire. Green would have known that he had about 80 wraps of drugs in the car.”
Mr Jones said evidence on 34-year-old Green’s phone “suggested he was involved in dealing”.
Telfer pleaded guilty to two charges of possession with intent to supply a controlled class A drug at an earlier hearing in November 2017.
Green initially pleaded not guilty to the joint charges resulting in a trial being scheduled in August this year. However, on the day of the hearing he changed his plea to guilty.
Mr Philip Brunt, representing Green, said his client was a family man and had stayed out of trouble since his latest arrest.
Ms Katie Fox, representing 24-year-old Telfer, said: “He has struggled to deal with a number of debts with family and on leaving university he found it difficult to find suitable accommodation.
“He was offered a job by someone and it turned out to be running drugs.”
Recorder Christopher Millington QC jailed Telfer, of Fallings Park, Wolverhampton, for two years.
Green, of Tipton, was given “modest credit” and jailed for two years and nine months.
