A spice dealer who told his runner he wanted ‘the packs on the street and the cash coming in’ has been handed a jail sentence by Swansea Crown Court.

Zackery Griffiths was caught by police as he attempted to escape through the rear window of a flat in Ystradgynlais which belonged to an associate.

A subsequent search of the flat revealed 117 gold-coloured packages of a synthetic cannabinoid, commonly referred to as spice, and a small amount of heroin.

There were also signs of drug use, including burnt spoons. When Griffiths was searched he was found to be in possession of half a gram of cannabis.

MORE NEWS

His phone data also contained messages relating to buying and selling the spice drug, including a conversation with contacts and dealers who had worked for him.

Griffiths urged one dealer to ‘work hard and slam the packs out’ while another needed to 'keep the packs on the street and the cash coming in’.

Griffiths, of Station Road, Llanelli, appeared before Swansea Crown Court for sentence this week after previously pleading guilty to the possession of spice with intent to supply, and to the possession of heroin and cannabis.

He has 15 previous drug offences on his record including possession of amphetamine with intent to supply, and supplying heroin.

He was out of prison on licence at the time of his arrest in Ystradgynlais, and was recalled back to prison to serve the rest of that earlier sentence.

Representing Griffiths, Gerald Hillman said in 2020 the defendant was an addict but with help and support he had been drug-free for a year.

Meanwhile Recorder Neil Owen-Casey questioned why the offences, which were committed in October 2020, had taken so long to reach court.

Dyfed-Powys Police said there had been a delay in Griffiths’ phone being downloaded with the result that the information wasn’t returned to the officers until March 2021.

There were further delays in finger-printing the spice packages, difficulties in arranging interviews with Griffiths who had been remanded in coustody following his arrest and a further delay as a result of the investigating officer having to attend a course.

At this point, the Recorder asked, rhetorically, whether it had been a degree course.

The charging decision was eventually determined by the Crown Prosecution Service in February 2022.

Griffiths was sentenced to 20 months in prison.