A SUSPECTED Nuneaton break-in led to a cocaine dealer being jailed for 26 months.
At around 1:45am on Friday, December 29, officers were called to a report of a suspected break-in in progress on Dunlow Close.
They discovered a muddy footprint halfway up the door, and officers found the rear patio door had been smashed.
After entering a property to check those living there were safe, officers discovered a large amount of cocaine and cash on a computer desk.
Around 190g of cocaine were recovered from the address, as well as £5,279 cash.
A search also turned up cannabis, digital scales, a mobile phone, and a red tin filled with drug paraphernalia.
Ashley Thorpe, the resident aged 33, returned to find the police at his home.
He was arrested with £1,165 on his person and another mobile phone.
Both mobile phones later showed evidence of drug supply.
This included a ‘tick list’ of money owed to him on his personal phone, which was linked to the names on messages sent from the other device.
When asked about the drugs, he said “I’ll tell you straight”.
Thorpe claimed he planned on selling drugs until a debt was paid, and making a little bit on top as well before calling it quits.
However, Thorpe claimed he didn’t own the drugs, saying he was ‘in possession’ of them, but that they belonged to someone else.
He claimed the £1,165 in his pocket was all from Christmas presents he had been out collecting before he arrived.
He received the 26-month sentence, having been found guilty of possession with intent to supply cocaine.
He was also found guilty of possession of criminal property- £6,444.10 of proceeds from drug sales – and possession of cannabis.
He was sentenced in Coventry Crown Court on January 26.
Investigating officer DC Lydster said: “Ashley Thorpe was selling drugs. He admits to it himself; he had the scales, he had the money, he had a list of customers.
“Despite owning up to selling the drugs, there’s a distinct sense that Thorpe didn’t quite take responsibility for his actions – poisoning the community, enabling organised crime, and inflicting the same type of debt that he claimed had trapped himself.
“Hopefully 26 months in prison is enough time for Thorpe to properly consider cause and effect.”
