A TEENAGE drug dealer who was caught trafficking class A drugs twice within the space of four months has been locked up.
Ethan Smith, 18, of Dewstow Street, Newport, was first arrested by plain-clothed police when he was riding a scooter on the city’s Chepstow Road last July.
Prosecutor Nigel Fryer said the defendant was found to have 21 wraps of crack cocaine weighing a total of 3.72 grammes and valued at £330.
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He was aged just 17 at the time.
Newport Crown Court heard that while Smith was released under investigation he went back to drug dealing and was caught again by police, this time on Sycamore Avenue on November 18.
Mr Fryer said: “Officers saw him at around 10.30pm. The defendant was smelling of cannabis and his phone was ringing constantly.
“They carried out a search upon him and found around £200 in cash, 16 bags of crack cocaine and 11 bags of heroin with a combined street value of £490.”
Smith pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing a class A drug with intent to supply.
Mr Fryer said the defendant had a previous conviction, committed last year, for trafficking cannabis.
Hashim Salmman, representing Smith, said: “His best mitigation is his early guilty plea which was entered at the very first opportunity.
“His parents are here in court to support him today. To say they are devastated would be an understatement.”
Mr Salmman said his client had been struggling with a cannabis addiction.
Judge Richard Williams told the court that by the police freeing the defendant under investigation last July rather than on bail: “He was released to do very much whatever he wished.”
Turning to Smith, he told him: “You have left your parents broken hearted, but that’s your responsibility.
He sent him to a young offender institution for two years and four months and ordered him to pay a £181 victim surcharge upon his release from custody.
Judge Williams also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the crack cocaine and heroin and the forfeiture of the £200 cash.
There was no application for a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing.
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