Wolverhampton drug dealer locked up for three years
A cocaine addict caught dealing drugs for the second time was starting a three-year jail sentence today.
Police raided the Wolverhampton home of Lynval Spence after a tip-off on February 2, the city's Crown Court was told.
He and another man were at the address and the offices noticed the defendant was acting suspiciously.
Mr David Bennett, prosecuting, revealed: "Then a couple of wraps of crack fell out of one of his pockets."
A search of the property unearthed around £710 worth of the drug together with a set of digital scales and £75 cash.
Police also found a mobile phone which was taken away for analysis. This revealed text messages related to drug dealing, the court heard.
The 52-year-old defendant had previous convictions involving 32 separate offences including possession of drugs with intent to supply for which he was jailed in 2006.
Mr Michael Polak, defending, said Spence had started smoking cannabis when aged between 21 and 22 but soon moved on to crack which he had been taking for almost 30 years.
The lawyer continued: "He is heavily addicted and has been unable to kick the habit. He uses all the money earned from dealing to buy drugs for himself. There is no luxury lifestyle for this man.
"He has damaged himself, possibly irreparably, by taking it for so long. He has caused himself brain damage."
Spence, from Byrne Road, Blakenhall, pleaded guilty to possession of crack cocaine with intent to supply and was sent to prison by Judge Barry Berlin who told him:
"You were street dealing and I bear in mind that you were doing this to support your own habit. But you were peddling this filth for others to get hooked on.
"This can cause brain damage as you know only too well. You have destroyed your own life but are still prepared to hand it over to others. It is heavily addictive and those who deal it face heavy sentences."
