TWO drug dealing brothers have been sentenced for trafficking cannabis.

Michael Taylor, 21, and Rhys Taylor, 25, were caught after police raided their home in the Trevethin area of Pontypool.

Emma Harris, prosecuting, told Newport Crown Court how officers found 26 grammes of cannabis with a street value of £250 at Beeches Road.

Also recovered were mobile phones with drug-related messages, one which stated: “Fat bags. Whatever you want. Best deals about.”

Both defendants pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis with intent to supply, the offences being committed on September 1 2018.

When Judge Daniel Williams asked Miss Harris why it had taken so long for the case to come to court, she told him the police had experienced difficulty with the mobile phone evidence.

He replied: “It’s not good enough I’m afraid.”

Michael Taylor also admitted being in possession of cannabis on September 29 last year.

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Nigel Fryer, mitigating for Rhys Taylor, said his client had no previous convictions, was a working man, and had been “candid” with the Probation Service in his pre-sentence report.

Byron Broadstock, for Michael Taylor, said the defendant had entered a guilty plea and there had been a long passage of time since the commission of the original offence.

He told the court that his client also had no previous convictions recorded against him.

Judge Williams sentenced Rhys Taylor to a 12-month community order and said he had to complete a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

He will also be electronically tagged to observe a 7pm to 7am curfew for four weeks.

Michael Taylor was also sentenced to a 12-month community order and told he had to complete a 10-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

He must complete 60 hours of unpaid work in the community.

Both defendants must each pay prosecution costs of £360 and an £85 victim surcharge.