Drug dealer jailed after dawn raid in Ebbw Vale

A drug dealer who had more than £35,000 flowing through his bank account has been sentenced to three years behind bars following a dawn raid at his home.

The raid

Officers from Gwent Police descended on an address in Ebbw Vale at around 5am on February 18 last year, where they found Jonathan Bond in an upstairs bedroom. The 39-year-old was arrested at the scene.

Bond handed over his mobile phone and provided police with the PIN. He also admitted to having a small cannabis bud on a desk in the bedroom. A second phone was also seized, though Bond refused to give officers the PIN for that device.

What police found

A search of Bond’s BMW uncovered a small quantity of cannabis in the centre console along with five bags of cocaine totalling 1.43 grams.

Analysis of the phone Bond had unlocked revealed he had been dealing cocaine since September 2024 and cannabis from October that year. The second device could not be accessed by officers.

The money trail

Cardiff Crown Court heard that a financial investigator instructed by Gwent Police discovered £35,545 in third-party payments had been deposited into Bond’s bank account between December 2023 and December 2024, alongside £810 in cash deposits.

Previous offending

Bond, now of Cwm-Celyn Road in Blaina, had four previous convictions for nine offences, including possession with intent to supply Class B drugs in October 2012 and three counts of supplying Class B drugs in March 2013.

Defence arguments

Hywel Davies, appearing for Bond, told the court: “This defendant accepted this will be an immediate and lengthy custodial sentence. The best mitigation in this case is his early guilty pleas.”

Mr Davies said Bond had been dealing to fund his “extreme” drug addiction and to support his children – who he had now lost contact with. He added that Bond was keen to get help for his addiction whilst in prison after being unable to overcome it alone.

Sentencing

Recorder Andrew Hammond told Bond: “It’s disappointing to see that, having reached the age of 39, you have essentially returned to the same offending behaviour. I’m in no doubt you entered this activity with the expectation of significant financial gain. You were making thousands of pounds from this activity. You are essentially returning to your old ways.”

Bond pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine and cannabis, and possession of both drugs. He was jailed for a total of three years, of which he will serve up to 40 per cent before being released on licence.

The prosecution confirmed no Proceeds of Crime Act application would be made.