Eastbourne drug dealer found with more than £12,000 of cocaine is locked up

Daniel Shaw, 39, of Pembury Road, Eastbourne, was spotted by officers driving along the A27 near Firle before coming to a stop, police said.

A spokeswoman added: “Police had intelligence to believe Shaw was involved in drug dealing and stopped to conduct a person and vehicle search.

“Within the car, a bag of cocaine with a weight of 122g; 11 wraps of cocaine; a knuckle duster, a hammer and two mobile phones were discovered and seized.”

Officers subsequently conducted a search at Shaw’s flat and recovered nearly £500 in cash found inside a coat pocket, cannabis resin and a further 26g of cocaine, she said. The total street value of all cocaine seized is estimated to be between £12,030 and £15,050.

The spokeswoman said: “Shaw was arrested and brought into police custody. During a police interview, Shaw was asked what he thought PWI – possession with intent – meant, to which he replied “I’m in trouble”.

“Shaw was charged with possession with intent to supply a class A drug, possession of a class B drug and possession of an offensive weapon. He pleaded not guilty initially and was due to stand trial, however he subsequently entered a guilty plea.”

He was sentenced to a 40 month custodial sentence.

Investigating Officer Sam Legate added: “We welcome the sentence issued by the courts in relation to this matter.

“We are committed to tackling issues with drugs, which can have a detrimental impact on our local communities.

“We hope this sends out a clear message to those dealing drugs within Sussex that we take this behaviour seriously and will continue to do all we can to remove it from our streets.”