Builder jailed after drug stash found in freezer

A man who moved from Ukraine to the UK to build a new life has been sentenced to almost three years behind bars after police uncovered his involvement in drug dealing.

Oleksandr Baryshnikov, 49, of Y Castell, Bangor, was brought before Caernarfon Crown Court after a raid on his Gwynedd home revealed a significant stash of amphetamine hidden in his freezer.

The raid

Officers executed a search warrant at Baryshnikov’s address on 11 August 2022. Although he was not home at the time, police discovered 675g of amphetamine – valued at £6,570 – stored in the freezer. He was arrested the following day.

When questioned, Baryshnikov claimed the drugs were his and said they were for personal use. However, examination of his phone told a very different story.

Phone evidence

Messages recovered from his device revealed he had been involved in supplying both class A and class B drugs between 2 June 2022 and 11 August 2022.

Prosecutor Catherine Elvin told the court there were messages from people asking for cocaine and amphetamine “on tick” or on credit.

Defence arguments

Defending solicitor Elen Owen argued that the offences dated from the summer of 2022 and were “very old”, adding that Baryshnikov was not charged until three years later in August 2025, which came as a shock to him.

She described the dealing as “relatively low-level supply for a very limited period.”

Ms Owen explained that Baryshnikov had arrived in the UK from Ukraine in his twenties and had navigated the immigration court system. He had worked at a food processing factory before becoming a self-employed builder after it closed.

His life took a difficult turn when he was injured in a gas explosion and forced to stop working. Ms Owen said the pain he suffered “contributed very significantly to his use of controlled drugs” and self-medication.

She urged the court to consider alternatives to custody, insisting that locking him up, whilst being a punishment, would do nothing to rehabilitate him and “would not benefit the wider community in any way, shape or form.”

Sentencing ⚖️

Her Honour Judge Nicola Jones was not persuaded, telling Baryshnikov he had played a significant role in the offences and had knowledge of the scale of the operation.

The court also heard that he had previously failed to comply with a community order from 2021 for producing cannabis.

Baryshnikov was jailed for 33 months for being concerned in the supply of cocaine, a class A drug. He also received a concurrent eight-month sentence for being concerned in the supply of amphetamine, a class B drug.

The judge ordered that all seized drugs and paraphernalia be forfeited and destroyed.