Dealers filmed themselves with drugs and piles of money

Two hapless drug dealers who shot videos of themselves smoking cannabis with piles of money were found to be dealing cocaine and cannabis. They were caught after police found messages relating to the sale of class A drugs on mobile phones.

George Medcraft, 20, and Nathan Parsons, 19, were stopped by police in Caerphilly on March 8 last year in a white BMW. Parsons admitted being in possession of a small amount of cannabis and Medcraft's phone was downloaded, before they were released.

Upon examining Medcraft's phone, police found messages concerned with drug dealing dating as far back as February 9, 2022, and discovered the phone was a drugs line known as the "Logan line" which was used to sell cocaine and crack cocaine. Messages had a "professional business approach" and "text bombs" were sent out to customers advertising drugs.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday heard Medcraft played a slightly more leading role than Parsons, and employed others to deliver drugs. After being pulled over by police, the defendants were dealing drugs again by March 18, and some messages referred to threats being made to customers by who worked for Medcraft.

George Medcraft, 20, of Caerphilly, was found to be concerned in the supply of cocaine and crack cocaine (Gwent Police)

It was estimated the Logan line was supplying three or four drug buyers per day. The total estimated amount believed to have been sold came to 170g of cocaine worth £17,000 and 75g of crack cocaine worth £7,560.

On August 9, police raided the defendants at their homes. At Parsons' home in Cardiff, he became abusive towards officers who found 170g of cocaine worth £17,000, traces of crack cocaine, 28g of cannabis worth £375 and various drug paraphernalia.

An iPhone was also seized which contained videos shot by Parsons of various amounts of drugs, cash and videos of himself smoking a spliff whole rapping. Both defendants were arrested and answered "no comment" in police interviews.

Medcraft, of Cwarrau Mawr Farm Lane, Penyrheol, Caerphilly, pleaded guilty to two counts of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs. He had one previous conviction for being concerned in the supply of class A drugs, for which he received a suspended prison sentence of 24 months, and was in breach of.

Nathan Parsons, 19, of Llanishen, Cardiff, was found to be concerned in the supply of cocaine and crack cocaine, and was found in possession with intent to supply cocaine and cannabis (Gwent Police)

Parsons, of Coed Cochwyn Avenue, Llanishen, pleaded guilty to two counts of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs and two counts of possession with intent to supply class A drugs. The court heard he was of previous good character.

In mitigation, Tim Lewis for Parsons said his client "couldn't believe" it was him in the videos played to court. He described the defendant as "young and highly immature" who now understood the impact of what he had done. Christopher Rees KC, for Medcraft, said his client had missed the birth of his first child after being remanded in custody and acknowledge he couldn't carry on behaving in the way he previously had.

Sentencing, Recorder Ben Blakemore said: "Those who deal in drugs in the community of south Wales, they need to understand the courts treat it very seriously indeed." He told Medcraft: "You continued as though you were immune to the law" and told Parsons: "You were particularly brazen took some pride in dealing drugs and engaging in it."

Medcraft was sentenced to a total of five years and three months imprisonment. Parsons was sentenced to a total of 40 months detention in a young offenders' institute.

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