Dealer swallowed stash in Wolverhampton pub in bungled bid to hide from police
A dealer put himself in hospital after swallowing suspected drugs in a bid to hide them from police, a court heard.
Syed Hasnain, aged 29, fell ill after ingesting the unknown substance at the Prince Albert pub in Wolverhampton city centre.
He later made a full recovery – but a subsequent search of his home uncovered more than 100g of cocaine, £1,100 cash and a mobile phone with incriminating text messages.
Hasnain went on to plead guilty to possession of class A drugs with intent to supply and was jailed for four years at Wolverhampton Crown Court.
Mr Gerald Bermingham, prosecuting, said: "Police were called to the Prince Albert pub in Railway Drive and this defendant has been challenged.
"He was seen discarding something and swallowing suspected drugs. He has then become ill and was taken to hospital
"Officers went to his home in Essington Way, Wolverhampton, and found a woman trying to flush something down the toilet.
"Cocaine was found totalling 119g. Cash totalling £1,100 was also seized. There was also a phone which had text messages relating to drug deals."
Mr Bunty Batra, defending, said his client had been bullied at school having been the "only brown child" and sought to argue his client's offending stemmed from that.
He added: "The considerable bullying marked itself with a low sense of self-esteem which has really stayed with him since his childhood.
"A critical element here is that he started to use drugs because of that low self-esteem.
"The drugs gave him a degree of confidence but he used too much and got into debt."
Recorder Anthony Warner said it was an "all too common" sequence of events which led him to deal drugs.
He added: "At the time of your arrest you gave an account that you had a heavy habit yourself which is entered as part of your mitigation now.
"That use led you to drugs. That led to dealing."
Hasnain, of Butts Road, Penn, was also sentenced for a separate offence of possessing cocaine committed while on bail for the more serious charge.
On that he occasion he had been stopped in Wulfruna Street by St. Peter's Collegiate church and tested for alcohol in the back of a police car.
Where he had been sitting officers later found a bag containing 7.47g of cocaine.
For the offence of possessing cocaine he was given a six month jail term to run concurrently with the four year sentence.
