A father and son were found in possession of £12,000 worth of heroin after a police raid. Examinations of their phones revealed they had been dealing the drug.
Mohammed Hussain, 41, and Ismail Hussain, 18, were the subjects of a drugs warrant executed at a house in Newport on January 10. Upon entering the property, officers discovered heroin packed into wraps for onward supply.
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Wednesday heard the total weight of the heroin came to 259g, valued at £12,000. Drug paraphernalia and mobile phones belonging to both defendants were also seized. Messages on the phones indicated the father and son were involved in the supply of heroin.
READ MORE: Woman found with images of babies being abused when police raided home
READ MORE: Man brutally assaulted woman who was murdered by her partner months later
In her sentencing remarks, Judge Lucy Crowther said: "Mohammed Hussain, you controlled this, had expectation of financial gain and involved another person in it. Ismail Hussain, you were brought into the operation by your father, you had no influence on onward supply and benefited little."
Mohammed Hussain, of Moore Crescent, Newport, and Ismail Hussain, of Collingwood Road, Newport, both pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply heroin. The court heard Mohammed Hussain has 31 previous convictions for offences related to serious violence, dishonesty, driving, attempted robbery and possession with intent to supply heroin. Ismail Hussain was of previous good character. For the latest court reports, sign up to our crime newsletter here
In mitigation for Mohammed Hussain, Ben Waters said his client was under pressure to pay off a debt and sustained a serious injury after being assaulted in prison. The defendant turned to drugs to pay off that debt, and asked his son to assist him for which he is now ashamed. Stephen Thomas, for Ismail Hussain, said his client was dealing under the influence of his father, and had little control or financial gain.
Addressing Ismail Hussain, Judge Crowther said: "(Drugs) may have seemed glamorous and attractive to you because your father was endorsing a world your mother was not prepared to do so. No doubt you did not expect to find yourself in prison (on remand) and your time there was unpleasant."
Mohammed Hussain was sentenced to 44 months imprisonment. Ismail Hussain was sentenced to 21 months detention in a young offenders' institute, suspended for two years, and was ordered to carry out a 12 day rehabilitation activity requirement and 200 hours unpaid work.
You can sign up to our regular Crime and Punishment newsletter here while this interactive tool allows you to check the latest crime statistics for your area:
