A TALENTED rugby player who turned to drug dealing after an injury ended his promising playing career has been locked up for trafficking cocaine.

Peter Davies, 19, who represented Wales Youth and the Dragons, was sent to a young offender institution for two years.

The Newport teenager was caught dealing cocaine on the streets of the St Julians area of the city by plain-clothes police officers, prosecutor Tom Roberts said.

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The teenager had a “very bright future ahead of him” before he became caught up in drugs, Cardiff Crown Court heard.

Davies was using an electric bike to sell cocaine and when he was arrested shouted out to others: “Tell the boys what’s going on. I’ll see them in a couple of years.”

Mr Roberts said the defendant was caught with nearly 30 grammes of cocaine which had a potential street value of £1,500.

Some of the drugs had a purity of up to 83% and police seized from him cash valued at between £750 and £800.

They also recovered a mobile phone with messages from others asking him for jobs in the drugs trade.

Davies, of Beaufort Place, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to supply on July 22.

Scott Bowen, mitigating, told the court his client was a man of previous good character with no convictions recorded against him.

He said: “He was 18 at the time of the offence and he had a very bright future ahead of him.

“The defendant was a talented rugby player who represented his country and the Newport Gwent Dragons.

“He suffered an injury that put an end to his rugby career. He felt down and started using cocaine. He then lost his job.”

Mr Bowen added: “The defendant is not a sophisticated drug dealer. There is no evidence he was living a lavish lifestyle.

“But he does accept there was a financial benefit. He became involved through naivety and exploitation.”

The judge, Recorder Carl Harrison, told Davies: “You were arrested after plain-clothes officers were called to the St Julians area after members of the public reported that electric bikes were being used to deliver drugs.”

He added: “You were a successful rugby player who represented Wales Youth and the Newport Gwent Dragons.”

The judge said he had considered suspending Davies’ inevitable custodial sentence because of his young age and previous good character.

But he decided it was so serious that it had to be an immediate term behind bars.

Davies will also have to pay a victim surcharge upon his release from custody.