Tyreece Prince and Kane Dickens were involved in suppying cocaine and heroin.

Two Telford drug dealers have been sentenced for their role in a county drugs line.

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Tyreece Prince, aged 21, of Craven Close, and Kane Dickens, 22, of Sutton Hill, were arrested by police on October 16 last year.

Shrewsbury Crown Court heard on Friday that police had first traced Prince through his phone usage, which had been attached to the drug line.

Mr Kevin Jones, prosecuting, said on his arrest officers called the drugs line and Prince’s phone had rung. A small amount of cannabis was also found in the property.

Mr Jones said Dickens was arrested at his address on the same day, where not only did they find his phone had also been involved in the drugs line, but officers found £4.530 in cash, as well as images of Dickens holding drugs and large amounts of cash.

Officers also found a flick knife on the property.

Both men admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin and cocaine at a previous hearing, with Prince insisting he had only been dealing to pay off a drug debt and Dickens saying he had been coerced and threatened with violence and intimidation by the organised drug gang behind the drugs line.

He also insisted he had only been involved by driving dealers, topping up their phone and storing drugs at his property.

Dickens also admitted being in possession of criminal property, namely the cash found at his address, and owning an illegal flick knife.

The court heard that while in custody, Dickens had been taken to hospital after claiming he was ill. After going to the toilet he fled.

A police helicopter found him in woodland an hour later. He was later charged with escape and admitted the offence.

Mr Jones said both of the defendants had played a “significant role” in the drugs operation, although it had been for a short amount of time of just six months.

He said that Dickens had no previous criminal convictions but Prince had not only been convicted for dealing before, he was also arrested while on a suspended sentence for it.

Judge Anthony Lowe told Prince: “The difficulty you have is that you were in a direct breach of your suspended sentence for doing the same thing.”

He jailed him for four years and two months.

He sentenced Dickens to 31 months for his part in the drugs line and three months concurrent for escaping custody.

But he said because of his previous good character he was willing to suspend the sentence for two years.

Dickens was also ordered to undertake 100 hours of unpaid work and was placed under the supervision of the probation service.