Jailed: Drug dealer stole drugs from another dealer to sell in West Bromwich because he was homeless
A man who claimed he had stolen drugs and a phone from another dealer because he was homeless and needed money has been jailed for selling them on the streets of West Bromwich.
Kiean Ebanks drove around in a Skoda Octavia car with personalised plates which was seen in Ebenezer Street, West Bromwich at around 1.30pm on November 25 last year, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.
Simon Mann, prosecuting said: "A county lines task force police team were carrying out an operation and stopped the car, with Ebanks inside - another male in a nearby shop was detained and then released.
“The officers found a black bag in the car with a total of 121 wraps of class A drugs in it - 97 of heroin and 24 of crack cocaine - they had a street value of £1,210 combined.
“There was also £4,039.83 in cash strewn around the car in pockets and compartments as well as on the floor.
“Also in the car was an Apple I-phone and a Nokia phone which was constantly ringing, a cannabis cigarette and a quantity of cannabis.
“Ebanks was arrested, and when the Nokia phone was examined, bulk messages were found advertising the number which was being used for the sale of drugs.
"When questioned, Ebanks openly admitted being involved in the drugs trade and said he had stolen the items for sale and the phone from a dealer - he was typically doing 30-40 deals a day.”
Keen to get a full time job and turn his life around
Defence counsel for Ebanks said he was homeless and the motivation for the dealing was money to get somewhere to live and he was keen to get a full time job and turn his life around.
The court heard Ebanks was not addicted to class A drugs - although he had five convictions for nine offences since 2016, only three were for possession, and they were for cannabis resin.
Recorder Rachel Cooper said she found it hard to believe he had taken the drugs from another dealer without any consequences.
She said: "Anyone who works in a court knows what the outcome could be if someone steals from a dealer and this was a significant amount with 30 to 40 deals a day being undertaken."
But she accepted Ebanks was not taking any of the drugs himself and was only trying to make money.
For possession with intent to supply crack cocaine, Ebanks was given 44 months and for possession with intent to supply heroin 44 months, both sentences to run concurrent.
For acquiring, possessing or using criminal property he was given a four month sentence, also to run concurrent.