Drug dealing isn’t glamorous – it’s a life of pain, misery and long jail sentences, Gwent Police warn

GWENT Police want to dispel the illusion that trafficking drugs leads to riches and a glamorous lifestyle.

Instead police have pointed out the harsh reality of misery, violence and long prison sentences that await prospective drug dealers.

So far this year, in two high profile cases, eight defendants involved in a £2.5 million cocaine and a further seven who were part of a plan to flood the streets of Newport with heroin were jailed for combined sentences of nearly 120 years.

Below we look at another six criminals who were put behind bars in the last three months in separate cases for more than 30 years for dealing class A drugs in the city.

Gwent Police Detective Inspector for organised crime, Andrew Tuck, said: “These sentences are part of the ongoing work we are committed to as part of tackling serious and organised crime in Gwent.

“Offenders involved in crimes at a serious organised level are a daily threat to our communities. Hand in hand with drug dealing, often goes the associated violence and other issues in our local areas – which people don’t see as part of the bigger picture of serious organised crime.

“Serious organised crime and the perceived rewards can seem deceptively glamorous to the young and vulnerable who can be exploited and drawn into a life of criminality, including drug dealing, drug misuse and drug addiction but what they do not always see from the outset is the violence and misery that underpins this life and the lengthy prison sentences offenders will serve.”

Keenan Sawyers and Daniel Matthews

These two drug dealers were caught after their car overturned following a police chase and the dazed traffickers tried to get out of their vehicle with bags of cocaine.

Keenan Sawyers, aged 21, of Moore Crescent, and Daniel Matthews, aged 26, of Beaufort Road, St Julians, both Newport, were each jailed for 40 months at Cardiff Crown Court.

Prosecutor Tony Trigg said Matthews was arrested with a black bag across his chest which contained 21 wraps of crack cocaine inside Kinder Egg containers with a street value of between £350 and £500.

Sawyers had an Adidas bag hanging around his neck with cocaine inside worth between £240 to £400 and a large quantity of cash.

Both pleaded guilty to possession of class A drugs with intent to supply.

Judge Michael Fitton QC told them: “You entered into a cynical enterprise for financial gain as street dealers.”

The due are the subjects of Proceeds of Crime Act applications.

Ellis Seivwright

This teenage cocaine dealer arrested after a police stop and search following a tip-off was locked up for more than two years.

Ellis Seivwright, aged 19, of Speke Street, Newport, was sentenced at the city’s crown court after admitting possessing a class A drug with intent to supply.

The offence was committed on November 14, 2018 at Chepstow Road.

The judge, Recorder Greg Bull QC, sent Seivwright to a young offender institution for two years and four months.

Outside the court, Police Constable Matthew Mallett, the officer in charge of the case, said: "This stop was conducted based on the local community providing intelligence to the police of drug dealing in the area.”

Ansar Hussain

This serial Newport drug dealer kidnapped a client over an unpaid debt and “humiliated” him by filming his terrifying ordeal and posting it on social media.

Branded “evil” by Judge David Wynn Morgan, heroin and cocaine trafficker Ansar Hussain was jailed for 10 years after he held Richard Noble captive and “terrorised” him.

He abducted his victim from the streets of the city, bundled him into the boot of a car and beat him at a secluded spot in Caerleon, punching him in the face.

Hussain threatened heroin addict Mr Noble and screamed at him that he would make him “beg for mercy” over a £140 bill.

A jury at Cardiff Crown Court heard how Hussain took his victim hostage after he started dealing drugs as soon as he was on licence after being released from prison.

He had only recently been freed following a custodial sentence of more than five years for possessing heroin with intent to supply in 2014 and this current offence was his third conviction for dealing class A drugs.

As well as the abduction, he was found guilty by a jury after a trial of being concerned in the supply of both heroin and cocaine and three counts of supplying class A drugs.

The 28-year-old, of Hampden Road, had pleaded guilty to kidnapping Mr Noble on September 3, 2018.

Callum Pugsley

This cocaine dealer was jailed for nearly five years after being caught with the drug in the city.

At Cardiff Crown Court, Callum Pugsley, aged 21, of Monnow Way, Bettws, Newport, pleaded guilty to possessing the class A drug and cannabis with intent to supply.

The offences were committed in the Malpas area in January 2018.

Pugsley had initially denied the offences but pleaded guilty before trial.

But the defendant admitted the charges and was jailed for four years and eight months by Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke.

Outside the court, Police Constable Shaf Khan, Gwent Police’s officer in the case, said: “At approximately 9.30pm on 9th January 2018, Callum Pugsley was detained under the Misuse of Drugs Act near to the shops on Russell Drive, Malpas.

“He was found to be in possession of a large amount of class A and B controlled drugs and was arrested.”

Jordan Manley

This drug dealer caught throwing a big carrier bag of heroin out of his car window during a police chase was jailed for more than four years.

Jordan Manley, aged 24, of Maesglas Road, Newport, was arrested by officers in the Bettws area of the city, Cardiff Crown Court heard.

The defendant was spotted hurling the bag out of a black Volkswagen Golf last October after being stuck in traffic.

Police found it and discovered a "large amount of heroin" inside.

Manley admitted possessing heroin with intent to supply and having an offensive weapon – a knuckle duster.

He was jailed for four and a half years by Judge David Wynn Morgan after a trial of issue following his guilty plea.