St David’s drug dealer jailed after assault exposed operation

A man whose parents are “respectable members of the community” was secretly dealing drugs, a court was told. Police uncovered Rhys Copley’s activities after he had punched a man in the face outside a shop.

When officers arrested the defendant they found he was carrying more than £800 in cash and a stash of cannabis, whilst a search of his house turned up thousands of pounds worth of cocaine.

Sending the 31-year-old defendant to prison, a judge said it was clear from everything he had read about Copley that he had not been brought up to behave in the way he had been doing.

Alycia Carpanini, prosecuting, told Swansea Crown Court that on the evening of July 28 this year a man was approaching the CK shop in St David’s in Pembrokeshire when out of the blue Copley appeared and punched him in the head. When the man went to the floor, Copley kicked him.

Staff in the shop rang police and when officers arrived they saw Copley heading for a nearby lane. He was detained and searched, and was found with £815 in cash and 10g of cannabis.

Meanwhile other officers had gone to Copley’s house to look for him, and when they entered the property they were met by an “overwhelming” smell of cannabis. A search of the address uncovered a total of 30g of high-purity cocaine worth more than £5,000 along with 381g of cannabis worth around £4,700.

In his subsequent interview the defendant answered “no comment” to all questions asked.

Copley, of Noddfa Dewi, St David’s, Pembrokeshire, had previously pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to supply, possession of cannabis with intent to supply, possession of criminal property – namely cash – and assault by beating when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has five previous convictions for eight offences including robbery, possession of Class B drugs, and criminal damage.

Dan Griffiths, for Copley, said the defendant was “wholly realistic” about the situation he was in, and said anything that was put forward in mitigation would go solely to the length of the custodial sentence.

He said his client had been a user of cocaine and cannabis and had been “seduced by the prospect of making what he saw as easy money by supplying like-minded individuals in the area” with the same drugs. The advocate said in statements before the court the defendant was described as being a “nice guy” when not under the influence of drink or drugs, and he said Copley was motivated to make the necessary changes in his life.

Judge Geraint Walters said Copley’s parents were both “respectable members of the community” – with his father being instrumental in the running of the lifeboat and his mother a practice manager at a GP’s surgery – and that it was clear from everything he had read about him that he had not been brought up to behave in the way he had been doing.

The judge said the way Copley had chosen to make his “easy money” was one which caused misery to others, and he noted the “scourge” of drug dealing had now reached as far west as St David’s, a city in name but in reality a close-knit village.

With one-quarter discounts for his guilty pleas Copley was sentenced to three years in prison. He will serve up to half the sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.

The judge ordered the money seized from the defendant be forfeited and given to Dyfed-Powys Police to assist them with their “daily battle” against those who traffic drugs.