Man found cowering in back garden with a stash of Class A drugs
Man found cowering in back garden with a stash of Class A drugs
Concerns were raised in court the 22-year-old will get an "education in criminality" while in prison
Rees Morris
(Image: South Wales Police )
A man was caught dealing Class A drugs twice in a matter of weeks - first in Weston-super-Mare and then 50 miles away in Cardiff. Rees Morris was found hiding in a back garden in the Welsh city with a stash of crack cocaine following a search of a house. In the house officers found a diary containing a "tick list" of moneys owed along with "rap lyrics referring to Class A drugs".
Cardiff Crown Court heard 22-year-old Morris has no previous convictions and that concerns have been raised about the "education" in crime he may receive in prison.
Emma Meadows, prosecuting, told the court that the first offence happened in Weston-super-Mare in Somerset on January 19 this year when the defendant was caught on CCTV carrying out what appeared to be drug deal on the streets - she said a woman was seen handing over money to the defendant and in return was given a small "white item".
The court heard the woman was located by police and spoken to, and she admitted buying drugs from the defendant. Morris was subsequently located, arrested, and searched and was found with four £10 notes. He was not in possession of any drugs. The defendant was released on bail. For the latest court reports sign up to our crime newsletter
The prosecutor said Morris came to the attention of police again on February 27, this time in Cardiff. She said officers in the Grangetown area became suspicious of the activities of two men in a parked white BMW on Wedmore Road who appeared to be carrying out an "exchange" with males who approached them, and they noted the details of the vehicle. The same BMW was spotted again later that day parked outside a property on nearby Stafford Road.
The prosecutor said officers subsequently executed a search of the property - the defendant was not present but was spotted hiding in a neighbouring garden and was seen to be ripping a black plastic bag and trying to dispose of the contents. Police recovered a bag containing 3.5g of crack cocaine from the spot where Morris had been hiding. A search of the Stafford Road house uncovered more black packages of the type recovered from the garden along with weighing scales and a red diary containing a so-called "tick list" of moneys owed and "rap lyrics referring to Class A drugs". Read about a man who was importing an industrial chemical from China and using it to make and sell dangerous "diet pills"
Rees Morris, aged 22, of Earlham Grove, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, had previous pleaded guilty to being concerned in offering to supply cocaine - Somerset offending - and possession of crack cocaine with intent to supply when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has no previous convictions.
Steve Burnell, for Morris, said the defendant had written a letter to court which described how being arrested and remanded had been a "massive reality check" for him. He said a pre-sentence report prepared for the sentencing hearing highlighted concerns about the "education in relation to criminality" the defendant may receive in prison.
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With one-third discounts for his guilty pleas, judge Eugene Egan sentenced Morris to 40 months in prison comprising 20 months for each offence to run consecutively. The defendant will serve up to half the 40 months in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.
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