Drug dealer living in Ebbw Vale sentenced to years in prison

Patrick Pacholczyk, 27, living at Gelli Crug, Rassau, Ebbw Vale, has been sentenced to two years and nine months in prison for supplying the class A drug of cocaine to people across Blaenau Gwent.

Patrick was discovered as a drug dealer by police through being a saved as ‘Polish Pat’ in another offender’s phone.

Texts read at Cardiff Crown Court on July 29 from his phone number showed him sending text bombs saying ‘active drops all day’ with snowflake emojis as well as information of various deals, the court heard.

The prosecution told Recorder Owen Casey: “The bank details Mr Pacholczyk was providing people for his transactions belonged to his mother, who had no idea of his drug operation.

“He has four previous convictions of six offences and although none include intent to supply drugs, he was convicted for drug driving in the past.”

Recorder Owen Casey described evidence from Mr Pacholczyk’s burner phone as, “a busy line sending adverts”

He said: “It is plain that a number of deals were taking place over a period of three months, between December 13, 2023, to March 30, 2024.”

Mr Pacholczyk’s defence told the court that the offender is an addict himself, who suffers with his mental health and takes medication for both anxiety and depression.

It was explained that the defendant resorted to drugs after being in debt to drug dealers from his own addiction.

Mr Pacholczyk hid the debt and drug operation from his family, who in the defence’s opinion could have helped him if they had known.

They asked the judge to consider his mental health, and proposed a suspended sentence due the fact he was ‘pressured and coerced’ into selling the drugs.

Recorder Owen Casey did not agree that there was sufficient evidence to support mitigation for the reasons listed above and concluded that the defendant had a significant role in, and awareness of, the scale of his operation.

The judge said: “It was not your mental health that caused you to offend in this way, it was a conscious decision.

“This is a sad case, with your addiction dating back to your teenage years but I have got to consider is the level of operational function.

“You advertised your drug deals by sending out text bombs offering deals and discounts for bulk buys. You were freely running your part of this operation it is plain and clear.”

Despite the defence’s best efforts for mitigation, Mr Pacholczyk was sentenced to 33 months in prison, following a 25 percent reduction because of his early plea, effective immediately.

Patrick Pacholczyk will serve at least half of his sentence before being reviewed and released on license.