Father jailed after cocaine supply uncovered in Pontardawe

A 31-year-old man has been sentenced to almost three years in prison after a judge told him the “gamble” of getting involved in Class A drug dealing had failed to pay off.

Jordan Hamilton was jailed at Swansea Crown Court after he and his partner Gemma Davies both admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine and cannabis from their home near Pontardawe.

The judge’s warning

Judge Paul Thomas KC told Hamilton that when he chose to involve himself – and his partner – in supplying Class A drugs, he would have known what kind of sentence awaited if he was caught.

He told Hamilton: “The gamble did not pay off and now you must pay the price for it.”

The judge said people like Hamilton who are addicts themselves and who chose to get involved in drug supply “simply create the same misery in other people’s lives”.

Hamilton was sentenced to 33 months in prison, with a discount applied for his guilty pleas.

Evidence from the raid

Prosecutor Abul Hussain told the court that officers executed a search warrant at the couple’s home address near Pontardawe on April 15 last year. Both Hamilton and Davies were present, and police seized their mobile phones along with weighing scales and a “large number” of snap-seal bags.

Analysis of Hamilton’s phone revealed messages connected to the supply of cocaine and cannabis. Messages between the couple showed they had been working together, including one in which Hamilton asked Davies to “bring scales and bags” as they had a “customer waiting”.

A small number of drug-related messages were also found on 36-year-old Davies’ phone, along with messages that appeared to have been written on the device by Hamilton.

Hamilton answered “no comment” to all questions put to him in interview. Davies answered some questions, confirming she was in a relationship with Hamilton and that they lived together.

Defence arguments

Jon Tarrant, representing Hamilton, said his client was a long-term drug user who had been involved in “relatively low-level supply to friends”. He said the father-of-two offered his remorse and apologies and knew his sentence would mean “enforced absence from his young children”.

Caitlin Brazel, for Davies, said her client had been acting under direction from Hamilton at all times. She told the court Davies had been a drug user since her teenage years and was “deeply ashamed and embarrassed” at appearing in court. The barrister said the conviction was something the mum-of-one would “carry for the rest of her life”.

Davies’ sentencing adjourned

Hamilton and Davies, both of Clos Pentyle, Trebanos, Pontardawe, had each previously pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine and being concerned in the supply of cannabis. Neither defendant has any previous convictions.

Davies’ plea was entered on the basis that she had been in a relationship with Hamilton and had, on occasions, allowed money to be paid into her bank account and sent a small number of messages – all at her partner’s direction.

Judge Thomas adjourned Davies’ sentencing for three weeks to allow the Probation Service to explore whether a mental health treatment requirement and a curfew were viable options. She was remanded into custody, with the judge telling her that the fact he was exploring other sentencing options should not be seen as any indication of what sentence she would ultimately receive.