Fingerprints on drugs 'tick list' linked dealer to driver stopped by police in Staffordshire, court told
A man on trial for drugs offences after the car he was driving in Hednesford was found to have class A drugs in it was linked to them by a so-called 'tick list'.
The first day of the trial of James Whitehouse, aged 29, heard he was driving a blue Fiat Punto belonging to his friend Cameron Daniel-Hall which 'sped past' an unmarked police car with two officers in Stephenson Way, Hednesford going towards Cannock Road at 1.20pm on September 19, 2023.
Giles Pengelly, prosecuting, said: "The officers were alerted partly by the speed and partly because it was showing up as having no insurance.
"The car contained Whitehouse, Daniel-Hall who was the owner but the front-seat passenger, and a female in the back seat."
"It was followed by the officers and stopped at the Texaco garage where Daniel-Hall was seen to kick a bag from the car underneath it and tried to run off, but was caught by one of the officers.
"The other officer stayed with Whitehouse and when Hall was brought back to the car and the bag was found to contain class A and class B drugs, the former denied any involvement, saying he had been 'driving his boy'.
"The bag also contained three envelopes containing £90, £30 and £20 in cash - but we are not saying this had anything done to Whitehouse - with fingerprints on them found to be of Hall.
"But when the officers went to the property of Hall, in nearby Hill Street, they found a 'tick list' containing information on drugs, including types of them and orders.
"Fingerprints on the paper were linked to Whitehouse and he was arrested, Hall having already been so."
The court heard three mobile phones were also found in the car, including a 'burner phone' and cannabis in a small bag in the glove box as well as several plastic bags.
A Staffordshire Police drugs officer gave evidence in which he said the large bag which was thrown under the car contained three bags of cocaine with a street value in total of around £60 and cannabis of around 17 'deals' estimated to be between £40-£60 so in total valuing from £680-£1,020.
The officer said some of it could have been for personal use but evidence from the phones and from the list suggested some or a large amount of it would have been supplied to others.
A fingerprint expert also gave evidence on the first day of the trial to explain how prints found in the car, on the phones and at the property were analysed.
Whitehouse, of Stonnall Road, Aldridge, denies being concerned with the supply of cocaine, a charge Daniel-Hall has already admitted.
The trial at Stafford Crown Court continues.