TWO drug dealers who were hiding high purity cocaine clenched between their buttocks have been jailed.

Jack O’Neill, 21, of Sir Charles Crescent, Newport, and James Walters, 28, of Clytha Square, Newport, were caught by plain clothes police in the city.

Walters was also being sentenced for being more than nine times the drug driving limit with cocaine in his blood.

Abigail Jackson, prosecuting, told Cardiff Crown Court how the pair were spotted by officers doing a drug deal with two others on October 12, 2019 while in a Vauxhall Corsa.

MORE NEWS:

She said police found O’Neill had £105 of cocaine with a purity of 76 per cent and £290 in cash.

Walters had £170 worth of crack cocaine with a purity of between 87 per cent and 90 per cent and nearly £800 cash.

He told police the money came from a whiplash injury claim.

Miss Jackson said: “Both defendants had drugs between their buttocks.”

Walters was caught drug driving in Newport on April 4 in a Volkswagen Polo.

He gave a reading of 462 micrograms per litre of blood for cocaine derivative benzoylecgonine.

The legal limit is 50 micrograms per litre of blood.

O’Neill and Walters both pleaded guilty to possession of a class A drug with intent to supply.

Walters also admitted drug driving.

Miss Jackson said O’Neill was jailed in July for possession of cocaine with intent to supply.

She told the court Walters had 14 previous convictions for 29 offences.

There were none for drug trafficking, but he does have dangerous driving, drink driving, aggravated vehicle taking, driving whilst disqualified, driving without insurance and driving without due care and attention on his record.

Ben Waters represented the two defendants.

He said O’Neill had been homeless and “vulnerable” at the time of his offence.

Mr Waters told how Walters was battling to conquer his drug addiction since his offending and added there had been a “long delay” in bringing matters to court.

The judge, Recorder John Benson QC, told the defendants: “You were supplying at street level and you had drugs concealed in your buttocks area.”

He jailed O’Neill 32 months and Walters for 36 months.

Walters was also banned from driving for 48 months.