Four drug dealers have been jailed following an undercover police sting.
Leah Sterry, 30, of Longfellow Gardens, Graig y Rhacca, Joanne James, 42, of Pen y Graig, Penpedairheol, Alun Pascoe, also known as Harris, 64, of Milton Place, Graig y Rhacca, and David Griffiths, 57, of Gelligroes Road, Pontllanfraith, were all sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday, July 22, after police swooped in a series of drug raids carried out by Gwent Police in June.
More than 180 officers took part in the raids, which began at 4am on Tuesday, June 11 and were part of Gwent Police’s Operation Dynamic, which targets serious and organised crime.
Prosecutor Gareth James told the court how two undercover police officers in the operation were tasked with buying Class A drugs, identifying suppliers and collecting evidence. Police also used cameras to catch the drug dealers.
Leah Sterry, 30, of Longfellow Gardens, Graig y Rhacca, admitted two counts of supplying heroin under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
Sterry, a mother of one, has 19 previous convictions from 31 offences, including the supply of a Class C drug. She was described by Kevin Seal, who was defending her, as a social supplier who dealt only to those she knew. Sterry will serve two sentences concurrently, both worth two years and eight months. She will serve the first half of the sentence in prison, while she will spend the other half released on licence.
Joanne James, 42, of Pen y Graig, Penpedairheol, was sentenced after pleading guilty to two counts of supplying heroin.
James has 43 previous convictions for 132 offences, but none for the supply of drugs.
Defending James, Ben Waters said she had struggled with drug addiction.
She will serve a three-year sentence, with half spent in prison and the other half spent on licence.
She was ordered to pay a £170 victim surcharge.
David Griffiths, 57, of Gelligroes Road, Pontllanfraith, pleaded guilty to three counts, including supplying crack cocaine, supplying heroin, and refusing to provide a sample at the police station.
It was explained to the court that Griffiths has 78 previous convictions for 208 offences, none relating to supplying drugs, and had spent his life battling a drug addiction.
Griffiths had been selling cocaine with a purity of over 80% and heroin at 42%.
Griffiths will serve a three year and four month sentence, of which half will be spent in prison and the other half out on licence.
He was also ordered to pay a £170 victim surcharge within three months of release.
Alun Pascoe, also known as Harris, 64, of Milton Place, Graig y Rhacca was sentenced for three counts of supplying heroin.
The court was told how Pascoe had been a drug addict for 50 years and was in serious ill health as a result.
Pascoe has 37 previous convictions for 80 offences, but none relating to the supply of drugs.
His three sentences are each worth three years, but will run concurrently, meaning he will only serve three years.
Half of Pascoe’s sentence will be spent in prison, with the other half on licence.
Gavin James, 39, of Llwyn yr Eos, Nelson, was sentenced after pleading guilty to one count of supplying heroin.
Undercover officers had asked James, to buy them heroin.
Her Honour Judge Nicola Jones said to James: “You thought you were helping out a fellow-drug user”.
James will serve 12 months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months.
He was ordered to pay £250 prosecution charges, as well as a £140 victim surcharge.
He was also ordered to undergo a drug rehabilitation requirement.
Also appearing in the dock at Cardiff Crown Court were Ben Stead, 25 and Angharad Simmonds, 25, both of High Street, Rhymney.
Stead is charged with three counts of supplying Class A drugs, while Simmonds is accused of two counts of supplying Class A.
Their case was adjourned until Monday, August 5, with the pair remanded in custody until then.
The June 2019 raids were carried out across the borough, with addresses in Rhymney, Hengoed, Nelson, Bargoed, Pontlottyn, Oakdale, Pontllanfraith and Newbridge targeted.
The operation seized class A drugs, including crack cocaine and heroin.