Carl Mitford and Matthew Oliver (Image: South Wales Police)
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⚖️ A cocaine dealer has been sentenced to more than three years in prison after police uncovered wraps of the drug and a trail of incriminating phone messages following a routine car stop in Swansea.
Matthew Oliver, 39, of Kinley Street, St Thomas, Swansea, was handed a 40-month prison sentence at Swansea Crown Court, which sat via a remote video hearing at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court. His co-defendant Carl Mitford, 45, of Old Road, Skewen, Neath, received 27 months behind bars. Both will serve up to half their sentences in custody before being released on licence to complete the remainder in the community.
The traffic stop
Officers pulled over a car in the Hafod area of Swansea on the afternoon of July 10 last year. Mitford was behind the wheel with Oliver in the front passenger seat. A search of the vehicle uncovered a number of wraps of cocaine from the front passenger seat with a value of up to £230.
Prosecutor Cailtlyn Jones told the court that both men were arrested and their phones seized. Examination of the devices revealed messages connected to the supply of drugs, including communications between the two defendants. They were subsequently released on bail.
A second investigation
Oliver’s involvement in the drugs trade extended beyond that single car journey. In January this year, officers working on a separate drugs investigation encountered messages about cocaine supply linked to a phone number associated with Oliver. A search warrant was carried out at his home on January 27, and empty snap-seal bags were recovered from his bedroom. He declined to provide the PIN for his new phone.
Previous offending
Oliver has six previous convictions for six offences, among them theft matters and a cannabis trafficking offence dating from 2014. Mitford’s record is more extensive, with 12 previous convictions for 20 offences including driving matters, assaulting a constable, and possession of a class A drug with intent to supply from 2012.
What the defence said
Stuart John, representing Oliver, told the court his client’s “recreational” use of cocaine had rapidly developed into an addiction which then led to dealing. He said Oliver had completed numerous courses in prison and was currently undertaking the 12-Steps addiction programme.
Dan Griffiths, for Mitford, said his client had remained drug-free for 14 years and had built a largely positive life with a relationship and employment before experiencing a relapse last year. He described Mitford’s role as that of a driver for Oliver on a “sporadic” basis, receiving cocaine in lieu of payment.
Sentencing
Recorder Greg Bull KC told the defendants that class A drugs create misery for individuals and communities, and said the courts would always treat dealing in such substances seriously.
Oliver had previously pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to supply and two counts of being concerned in the supply of cocaine, and received a one-third discount for his early pleas. Mitford had previously pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine and received a one-quarter discount – a lesser reduction reflecting the fact his pleas were entered later in the court process.
