Dealer Hid Cocaine in Child Seat Then Blamed Partner

A cocaine dealer who concealed his stash in a child’s car seat tried to blame his partner when caught by police, a court has heard. 💺⚖️

Andrew Howse, 35, of Bassett Terrace, Pwll, Llanelli, was stopped by officers on the Loughor bridge in April after police received intelligence about his VW Tiguan being involved in drug supply.

Swansea Crown Court heard that 13 snap-bags of cocaine worth up to £650 were found hidden under padding on a child seat, whilst Howse had £1,130 cash in his wallet.

Prosecutor Alycia Carpanini told the court that when interviewed, Howse initially denied any knowledge of the drugs and claimed “the car belonged to his partner and he rarely used it.”

The court heard that just 15 days before his arrest, Howse had been handed a suspended prison sentence for a firearms offence on 8th April.

Defence barrister James Hartson said Howse had written a letter expressing his “deep shame and remorse” and that references described him as “a good father and partner and as a helpful neighbour.”

Judge Paul Thomas KC noted that Howse’s “first instinct when arrested had been to throw his partner under the bus and disclaim any knowledge of the cocaine.”

The judge told Howse: “You really should have thought about your family and the impact on them when you took the decision to deal Class A drugs.”

Howse was sentenced to three years for drug dealing, with his 12-month suspended sentence for the firearms offence activated consecutively, making a total of four years in prison.