A drug dealer found in possession of heroin and crack cocaine tried to prevent police from finding his phone by hiding it in his bed and laying on top of it.
A raid was carried out at a house in Cardiff on May 12 last year where Jayden Heron and Trivelle Taylor were storing class A drugs they were planning to sell to users.
When police arrived at the property in Wakehurst Place, St Mellons, 23-year-old Heron fled the property and was detained in the garden while Taylor, 20, was found in an upstairs bedroom.
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday heard Taylor held his left hand under the duvet and refused to move when asked by police. When they grabbed both of his hands and removed him from the bed they found a burner Nokia phone.
Read more: Go here to read all the latest stories from the courts in Wales
Prosecutor Sophie Keegan told the court a search was carried out at the property which resulted in £360 worth of class A drugs being recovered. This included nine wraps of heroin and small white rocks which later transpired to be crack cocaine.
Police also discovered weapons including two machetes, a lock knife and a gas powered airgun, as well as drug paraphernalia including scales, snapbags and clingfilm.
When the phones were analysed they were found to contain text messages relating to drug dealing.
Heron, of Blaenavon Close, St Mellons, and Taylor, of Hendre Road, Trowbridge, later pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply class A drugs.
The court also heard Heron had previous drug convictions as well as possession of a bladed article.
Check crime reports in your area:
In mitigation, Susan Ferrier for Heron said her client now felt a sense of "responsibility and routine" in his life after embarking on a long-term relationship with his partner and having a baby. She said he previously spent his time smoking cannabis and playing video games, and it was through his acquaintances he became involved in drug dealing.
Harry Baker for Taylor said his client had served the equivalent of a nine-month sentence on a tag curfew. He claimed the defendant's role in the enterprise was to "follow instructions".
Recorder David Harris sentenced Heron to three years and six months imprisonment. Taylor was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment suspended for two years, and ordered to carry out a 15-day rehabitation activity requirement and a four-month curfew.
To get the latest news from WalesOnline sent straight to your email inbox, including our regular Crime and Punishment updates, click here .
