A Hatfield drug dealer was jailed for 28 months Friday, March 12, after being caught with ecstasy, cocaine and cannabis.
Harvey Coleman, 26, was stopped while driving a van near junction 6 of the A1M at Welwyn.
St Albans crown court heard that on January 5 this year an automatic number plate recognition camera flagged up the van as being uninsured.
Prosecutor Adele Pullarp said Coleman was alone in the van and the officer who stopped him noticed a strong smell of cannabis. Of his own accord, he handed over a bag of the drug.
Other officers were called and, during a search, more cannabis was found in a bag. 31 MDMA (ecstasy) tablets were recovered along with scales and a medium sized bag of white powder that turned out to be seven grams of cocaine. A small amount of cocaine was found at his home.
Ms Pullarp said the cannabis weighed 79 grams.
When questioned, he told the police he had been using cocaine and drinking a lot. He said he had got into debt and was supplying drugs to friends.
He admitted supplying drugs for the last year and said he needed help with his addiction. The van was not insured because he did not have enough money, he said.
Coleman, of Robins Way, Hatfield, appeared for sentence having pleaded guilty to two charges of possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply, possessing a Class B drug with intent to supply and having no insurance. He was of previous good character.
Defending, Matthew Simpson said: “He is under no illusions about the severity of these offences.
“The quantities of the drugs were small and he has shown nothing but honesty and contrition. He was co-operative with the police from the outset.”
Mr Simpson asked the judge to move from the sentencing guidelines for street drug dealing and impose a suspended sentence.
But Judge Michael Simon jailed him, saying: “Drugs are a bane on society. They cause untold misery, extensive trouble, crime and very many mental heath difficulties.”
