Joland Giwa (Image: South Wales Police)
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A man once dubbed ‘The General’ who was relocated to south Wales to sever his ties with a London gang has been sentenced to almost four years in prison after police discovered a significant haul of crack cocaine, heroin and cocaine at his home.
Background
Joland Giwa, 36, originally arrived in the UK from Sierra Leone as a young child aged four and grew up in Croydon, south London, where he became a leading figure in a gang known as ‘Don’t Say Nothing’ or ‘DSN’.
His lengthy criminal record includes a 27-month sentence handed down in February 2009 for a series of robberies and thefts. After serving that term, authorities placed him in a bail hostel in Newport with the aim of separating him from his associates in the capital.
The late former Labour MP for Newport West, Paul Flynn, said at the time: “There was outrage when a man described by a court and the police as so ‘dangerous’ they didn’t want him in London was sent to Newport. Since coming to this city he has committed a violent robbery.”
Despite the fresh start, Giwa went on to commit a terrifying robbery at a William Hill bookmakers in Ringland and was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in 2015. He was then jailed for four years and one month in April 2020 after admitting to trafficking drugs in Newport.
The arrest
Giwa, now living at Holly Road, Ty Sign, Risca, was arrested at his home in February this year after officers had followed his vehicle.
Prosecutor Nigel Fryer told Cardiff Crown Court that a rucksack was found containing a substantial quantity of drugs – 126g of crack cocaine with a street value of £13,500, 16.45g of heroin worth £1,645 and 7.85g of cocaine valued at £700. Officers also recovered £2,040 in cash.
Guilty pleas
Giwa admitted four charges – possession with intent to supply crack cocaine, possession with intent to supply heroin, possession with intent to supply cocaine and possession of criminal property.
The offending also placed him in breach of a suspended prison sentence imposed the previous year for affray. He has nine previous convictions spanning 16 offences.
Defence arguments
Hashim Salmman, representing Giwa, told the court his client had arrived alone in Britain as a young child and had struggled with “language and cultural barriers” while growing up in the UK.
The court heard Giwa still does not have indefinite leave to remain in the country and is therefore unable to work or claim state benefits. Mr Salmman also revealed that Giwa suffered the loss of an infant son in 2020 while he was in custody, and that his four children would miss him during his time in prison.
Sentencing
Judge Christopher Felstead sentenced Giwa to 45 months for the drugs offences with a consecutive two-month custodial term for breaching his suspended sentence – a total of 47 months, or three years and 11 months.
