Shropshire Star

Jailed: Dealer sold cocaine to pay off his debts

A cocaine dealer who sold drugs to pay off his own debts has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.

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Lee Barsby's drug operation was discovered inadvertently by police when they searched a hostel in the Telford area looking for someone else.

Officers noticed a strong smell of cannabis coming from Barsby's room and found 21 wraps of crack cocaine, a knuckleduster and £1,020.

Barsby, 23, of no fixed abode, admitted possession with intent to supply a class A drug and possession of cannabis, and was sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday.

The court heard police had entered a hostel where Barsby was staying while looking for another resident on January 26.

But when police entered Barsby's room they found the wraps of crack cocaine, cannabis, a knuckleduster and the cash.

Mr Kevin Jones, prosecuting, said: "Police were looking for another person but noticed a strong smell of cannabis coming from the defendant's room.

"They found a knuckleduster when they went upstairs and wraps of crack cocaine under a TV remote, two bags of cannabis worth £20 and further cannabis to the amount of £210.

"There was also a box containing scales, seal bags and freezer bags."

The court heard how Barsby had originally claimed the drugs were all for personal use and the money had been acquired through gambling.

But he later tested negative to crack cocaine and admitted he started selling the drug to pay off his own cannabis debts.

Mr David Swinnerton, for Barsby, said his client – who had 15 previous convictions for 24 offences – had only just been released on licence when he was caught with the drugs.

He said: "His record shows someone who uses drugs and has been for some time. He was frank about the fact he was selling crack cocaine for someone else."

Judge Peter Barrie said there was clearly a financial motivation behind selling the drugs.

He said: "You turned to trading in class A drugs to deal with your own debts."

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