A DRUG dealer who was caught with cocaine stashed inside a yellow Kinder egg container has been jailed for three years.

Joshua Chamberlain was arrested on June 26, 2019, after police received reports of a disturbance in St Martin's Road, Caerphilly, shortly after midnight.

Nearby, they found two men who were "both intoxicated". One of them, Chamberlain, was shouting at the other. Officers noticed a "large bulge" in his pocket and searched him, funding the plastic Kinder egg container with seven bags of white powder – later confirmed to be the Class-A drug cocaine – and a cannabis joint.

They arrested him, and upon searching the bedroom of a friend's address where Chamberlain was staying, found more white powder, a flick knife, a knuckle duster, an iPhone, and £830 in cash.

Chamberlain was later released under investigation, but on September 20 that year, he was stopped by officers near Caerphilly Castle, and found in possession of more cannabis and white powder, as well as a grinder, scales, another phone and more cash. He was again arrested and police examined the evidence they had seized, finding text messages linking Chamberlain to drug supply.

There was a "15-month period where this defendant was said to be dealing Class-A and B drugs on a consistent basis", William Bebb, prosecuting, told Cardiff Crown Court.

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In total, police recorded 53 pages of text messages, including references to 'flake' (the Class-A drug cocaine), 'mandy' and 'pills' (MDMA/Ecstasy, also a Class-A drug) and 'bud' (the Class-B drug cannabis). On average, his "dedicated" drugs line was contacted 131 times a month over the 15-month period in question.

Chamberlain, now of Brookland Road, Risca, pleaded guilty to seven drugs charges before Thursday's sentencing hearing.

Tom Roberts, defending, said Chamberlain, who was 19 and 20 when the offences were committed, had no prior convictions for drugs offences and was "remorseful".

"In his own words... he is 'not proud' of what he has done", Mr Roberts told the court, adding that Chamberlain had turned to drugs "to cope" after suffering medical and family difficulties.

"His situation today could not be more different," Mr Bowen said of Chamberlain, whom he described as "largely rehabilitated".

But the judge, Recorder Bilal Siddique, said he had little option but to send Chamberlain to prison because of his "poor history of compliance" with previous court orders.

The defendant, now 23, had been subject to the terms of both a community order and a suspended sentence during various times of the offending in question, the court heard.

The judge jailed Chamberlain for three years – a sentence he told the defendant was "the shortest that is possible" given his "total disregard for court orders".