Jailed: Drug dealer locked up after woman found 'burner' phone dumped in Shrewsbury street
A 'burner' phone discarded in Shrewsbury led to police catching up with two men who admitted being involved in supplying class A drugs.
Shrewsbury Crown Court was told that it was community-minded actions of a member of the public seeking to re-unite the phone with its owner which sparked the police investigation.
That investigation has resulted in Kian Murphy, 29, being jailed for more than five years, and Mark Scott, 36, being given a two-year suspended prison sentence.
Andrew Jackson, prosecuting, told the court that a woman had been out walking her dog in Shrewsbury in June 2020, when she came across an abandoned mobile phone.
Mr Jackson referred to the phone as a 'burner' – a term used for phones which are intended to be temporary and anonymous, for use in criminal activity such as drug dealing.
He said that the woman had taken it home, charged it up and looked at the messages in an attempt to get the phone back to its owner.
But, the messages were found to be "consistent with the supply of drugs" leading her to contact the police.
Their own enquiries revealed that the SIM card was registered to Scott.
The court heard that Scott, of Field Avenue, Shrewsbury, and Murphy, of Crowmere Green, also in Shrewsbury, had admitted a number of charges.
Scott pleaded guilty to possession of a class A drug with intent to supply, and possession of criminal property.
Murphy admitted charges of possession of criminal property, being concerned in the supply of both class A and class B drugs, along with counts of possessing class A and B drugs with intent to supply – relating to a second incident.
Mr Jackson told the court that searches by officers at Scott's property on August 27, 2020, turned up 306g of cocaine, and £15,850 in cash.
