POLICE found users "patiently" queuing up to buy drugs outside a dealer’s flat at an apartment block.

When officers raided Jake Field’s home at Ennerdale Court in the St Julians area of Newport customers were lining up to get in.

The 23-year-old was linked to two other co-defendants who have already been sentenced.

Macsen Salvato-Smith, 20, of Somerset Road, Newport was locked up for 21 months after he admitted possession with intent to supply crack cocaine, possession with intent to supply cannabis, possession of criminal property and driving while disqualified.

Rhys Alford, 22, of no fixed abode, Newport was handed a suspended prison sentence following his guilty plea to being concerned in the supply of cannabis.

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Ieuan Bennett prosecuting Field told Swansea Crown Court: "At about 2.30pm on December 1 last year a number of police officers executed a search warrant at a flat in a block at Ennerdale Court.

“They had been attracted to the premises because there was effectively a queue of people outside.

“They were waiting patiently queuing up to buy drugs.”

Officers found cannabis with a potential value of nearly £7,000 on the street, £9,725 in cash, expensive designer clothes and mobile phones.

“It was obvious that whoever was responsible was operating a significant and profitable cannabis selling business,” Mr Bennett added.

“The involvement of Mr Field in particular terms can only be described as permitting his premises to be used for the sale of cannabis.”

Detectives found drug-related messages on a burner phone with text bombs advertising cannabis.

There was also a single message from Field offering “small amounts of cocaine” for sale.

He pleaded guilty to making an offer to supply a class A drug and being concerned in the supply of a class B drug.

The offences took place when the defendant was the subject of a community order.

Field had previous convictions for common assault, making an offensive phone call, being drunk and disorderly, assaulting an emergency worker and being in breach of a community order.

Martha Smith-Higgins representing the defendant urged the court to pass a suspended prison sentence because she said her client was capable of being rehabilitated in the community.

The judge, Recorder Victoria Hillier, disagreed and jailed Field for 25 months.

She told him: “There were repeated and persistent breaches of your community order and you continued to be involved in criminality.

“Not only that but there was an escalation.”