'Honest' drug dealer caught with £14k of cocaine spared jail

Police found rolls of bank notes and bags of drugs in a raid on a house in Henley Close, Tipton, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

The cocaine was hidden in a box in a bedroom and in a kitchen cupboard, revealed Mr Hugh Williams, prosecuting.

Officers also arrested a man who was at the address when they swooped on July 26, the court was told.

Information gathered at the scene led police to another address in Pound Road, Wednesbury, where Shezad Hussain was having a shower, continued the prosecutor.

The 35-year-old defendant showed officers where another haul of cocaine was concealed in the pocket of a coat hanging in a wardrobe and in a drawer, disclosed Mr Williams.

More money was also discovered bringing the total recovery from the two raids to £14,400 worth of cocaine and about £6,000 cash, it was said.

Miss Blondelle Thompson, defending, observed: "He was very frank with the police in interview and told them where to find the drugs.

"He also took full responsibility for the haul knowing the likely outcome and made clear that the man arrested at the other property had nothing to do with it.

"His child was born two months ago and this event has given him the impetus to turn his back on crime. He has moved out of the area where this crime was committed."

Hussain, now living in Nottingham, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to supply and possession of criminal property.

He was given a two-year jail sentence suspended under supervision for two years while attending a drug rehabilitation programme.

Judge Michael Dudley said: "It is extremely rare for people in our position to admit the offence and even rarer for them to take the blame and say that the person originally arrested had nothing to do with it.

"You became involved in this because you were indebted to the person who supplied the drugs. You have escaped prison by a hair's breadth."