Drug dealer repays £11.5k despite £114k cocaine benefit

A drug dealer who benefited by more than £114,000 from his criminal activities has been ordered to pay back less than £12,000 after police uncovered 1.8kg of cocaine worth up to £100,000.

Guy Priddle, 33, and his partner Nicole Locke, 32, were arrested on 6 February after Priddle was spotted by police officers engaging in a suspected drug deal in a car. He was recognised by one of the officers and was followed to his address in George Street, Penygraig, Tonypandy.

Locke entered the house and was spoken to by police as Priddle fled through a rear window. She told officers she had come to collect her car keys and her car was parked in a nearby lane.

Police found a quantity of cocaine and drug paraphernalia in the kitchen and bathroom of the property, as well as a large quantity of cash. A package of 35g of cocaine was found, with a value between £1,300 and £2,040, and a separate package of 77g of cocaine, worth between £2,800 and £4,290.

Locke was arrested on suspicion of possessing class A drugs with intent to supply and claimed she had nothing to do with the substances. Her iPhone was seized and she refused to give the PIN code, but officers were able to gain access and found numerous messages on a Snapchat account which were related to drug supply. In her handbag was a set of electric scales and a small bag containing white powder.

Keys taken from Locke were found to belong to a Mercedes vehicle parked nearby. Recovered from the boot of the Mercedes was a large brown packet containing a kilo of cocaine, worth £30,000, and another package containing half a kilo of cocaine, worth £15,000, as well as £4,154 in cash. Also found were seven rocks, totalling 28g of cocaine, worth £1,000 to £1,500 each.

The total amount of cocaine found weighed 1.8kg and had a street value between £75,660 and £100,888.

Priddle handed himself in to police on 7 February, and both he and Locke were interviewed. Both Locke, of Pergwm Street, Trealaw, and Priddle, of George Street, Penygraig, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply class A drugs and being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.

Locke was sentenced to two years and three months imprisonment and Priddle was sentenced to five years and four months imprisonment.

A Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday heard Priddle benefited to the tune of £114,401 as a result of his offending, but only has assets worth £11,516.

Judge Paul Hobson ordered the defendant to pay that amount within two months or serve an additional six months imprisonment. Locke was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £228.