Man hid £33k under motorbike and blamed “the taxman”

A Swansea man has been jailed after police discovered tens of thousands of pounds in cash hidden under a motorbike seat, along with cocaine and cannabis concealed behind a ceiling tile at his home.

The search

Officers carried out a warrant at Raymond Green’s property on Heol Gwyrosydd in the Penlan area of Swansea on August 29 last year, acting on intelligence that he was involved in supplying controlled drugs.

During the search, they found more than 700 Valium tablets in the living room and £33,000 in cash tucked beneath the saddle of a motorbike at the property. A loose ceiling tile in a ground-floor bathroom revealed a hidden compartment containing 177g of cocaine and almost 1.5kg of cannabis.

Phone evidence

Prosecutor Alycia Carpanini told Swansea Crown Court that examination of Green’s phone uncovered messages linked to drug supply – including texts sent by the 57-year-old stating “the shop is open.”

What Green told police

In his police interview, Green said he had previously run his own door and window fitting businesses before closing them down, and was now claiming benefits including personal independence payment (Pip). He described himself as a cocaine user who took cannabis to “come down” from the Class A drug.

When challenged about the large sum of cash, he claimed it was earnings from his former businesses. Asked why the money was stashed under a motorbike seat rather than kept in a bank, he replied that he “owed money to the taxman.”

Defence arguments

Andrew Evans, representing Green, said the court may be wondering why a man of the defendant’s age would embark on Class A drug dealing. He explained that his client had run a successful window fitting business, but that was cut short by a stroke in 2022. What had been recreational cocaine use became more “extensive” as Green sought to self-medicate, the court heard.

Sentencing

Green had previously pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to supply, possession of cannabis with intent to supply – a plea entered on the day of trial – and simple possession of Valium. He has 10 previous convictions for 21 offences, including the production of cannabis.

Recorder Anna Price told Green that dealing in Class A drugs was a serious offence, and that those who engage in such activity can expect severe sentences – not just to punish them but to deter others.

He was sentenced to three years in prison for the cocaine offence, reduced by one-quarter for his guilty plea, and nine months for the cannabis offence with a 10 per cent discount for his late guilty plea. The two sentences will run concurrently, with no separate penalty for the Valium possession.

Green will serve up to half his sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.