Jail for man caught with £11k drug haul
A man caught with a haul of drugs worth £11,000 and a stun gun has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.
Drug dealer Ryan Harper was arrested by police in March after they found the weapon in his car and drugs inside his home.
He was released on bail and during that time officers returned to his home in Fairgreen Gardens, Pensnett, in July and found more illegal drugs. Mr Mark Rees, prosecuting, told Wolverhampton Crown Court: "On March 30 this year, police officers stopped the defendant in his car.
"In that car they found a stun gun which could cause significant harm.
"Having arrested the defendant, officers searched his home address. They found substantial quantity of drugs with an overall street value of £11,000."
Officers seized 159g of cannabis, 146g of methadrone, 1.48g of cocaine and 1,656 tablets of diazepam.
They also found digital scales and cling film used in the preparation of drugs with a view to selling it."
When he was interviewed by police, former mechanic Harper told them the drugs were for his own personal use and he was bailed.
When officers visited his home again on July 17 they found more drugs including crack cocaine and £340 in cash.
Harper, aged 22, previously admitted eight charges of possessing drugs with intent to supply and possessing a prohibited weapon.
Mr Timothy Talbot-Webb, defending, said his client had become a drug dealer as a result of falling into debts due to his own drug usage.
The court heard Harper had a £350-a-week cocaine habit at the time. Mr Talbot-Webb said: "He did not have the money to pay for the drugs and he had fallen into debt with the person supplying to him. He owed £13,000 at the peak of his debts."
