Bexhill man caught in crack cocaine sting

Martin Comer, 46, of Ninfield Road, was driven to London by Robertsbridge traveller James Chapman, 41, to pick up the drug worth more than 8,000.

Chapman was jailed for three-and-a-half years.

The pair admitted the offences.

Lewes Crown Court heard how Comer had agreed to pick up the drugs in London to pay off a 400 drug debt and had asked Chapman to drive.

Once there, they met with a third man who supplied the class A drug as undercover police looked on.

Prosecutor Nicholas Hall said the pair had driven to Lewisham in South London in Chapman's Mercedes with Comer in the passenger seat.

He said Chapman had then parked the car in a side street and they both waited inside.

He said: "Forty-five minutes after the car had parked there a pedestrian walked across to the car from the opposite pavement quite purposefully towards the parked Mercedes.

"The man walked up to the driver's side window where Chapman was seated. He exchanged brief words."

Mr Hall said the man then got into the rear of the car for "barely a minute" before leaving the scene.

Police later stopped the car at Flimwell on its return journey to the Hastings area and found the drugs in a jacket Comer was holding on his lap.

Mr Hall said the drugs would have had a street value of 8,400.

The court heard Chapman had previous convictions for dishonesty and violence while Comer had previously been jailed for a public order offence.

Neither had previous convictions for drugs charges.

Defending Chapman, Alan Masters said he had been depressed when he agreed to drive the car and did not know until during the journey of Comer's intention to pick up drugs.

He added that since Chapman's son died in May 2001 he had visited the grave every day.

He said: "He is a traveller, he lives in a gypsy site, he has done for years. Mr Comer asked him for a trip to London and after the visit to the grave site they went there."

Defending Comer, John Mannion said he had agreed to get the drugs to pay off his debts for his own drug habit.

Jailing Comer for four-and-a-half years and Chapman for three-and-a-half years, Judge Charles Kemp said he accepted Chapman was simply a driver.