A TEENAGER was caught red-handed dealing cocaine and heroin while under investigation for separate drug charges.

Nicholas David Goward, of no fixed abode, admitted a number of drug-related offences dating back to June last year, as well as further offences in Cardiff in April.

Gwent Police raided a property in the Stow Hill area of Newport on June 9 last year. There, they found mobile phones, drug-related paraphernalia – including cannabis grinders and scales, and a small amount of cannabis.

Upon analysing the phones – belonging to Goward – officers found messages where the defendant had been “essentially giving instructions about weights for different deals,” prosecutor Georgina Buckley said.

“There were also instances Goward appeared to list his deals for the day”

Officers also found a string of messages between Goward and his mother, in which he told her that he had £900 missing, but didn’t want to report it as it was money he had made from selling drugs.

The defendant, who was 17 at the time, was released under investigation.

On April 10 of this year, plain-clothed officers noticed a group of known drug users heading towards an underpass near Cardiff Museum. There, money was given to Goward, who by then had turned 18.

Upon arresting Goward, the officers found he had 0.56 grams of crack cocaine and 1.7 grams of diamorphine (heroin) on him.

“He initially gave a false name to police,” said Ms Buckley. “He said he was taken from Newport and forced to sell drugs because he was homeless.”

Goward told officers he was staying at an address on Connaught Road in Roath, and when they attended, they found another occupant who was “a vulnerable drug user”.

Goward has four previous convictions, none of which were drug offences. However, the offences committed in April did put him in breach of a community order for unrelated convictions in January and March.

“He is plainly, because of his age, someone who could be taken advantage of,” said Stuart John, in mitigation.

“He has no support network. He was either homeless or relying on friends or in hostels.

“He had an extremely traumatic and difficult upbringing. He’s had mental health problems.

“He started in his young teenage years using drugs, mainly cannabis and then crack cocaine.”

Mr John said that Goward had “embraced” the support which was being made available to him while he was in custody.

Recorder Paul Hobson, sentenced Goward to a total of three years in a young offenders institution.

For the charges of supplying a controlled drug of Class A crack cocaine and being concerned in the supply of diamorphine (heroin), he was handed a one-year sentence – running concurrently.

He was given two years for possessing with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin, running concurrently to each other, but consecutively to the first offences.

There was no separate penalty for the charge of possession of cannabis.