A judge told Jack Arran: “You have been a fool unto yourself”
A painter and decorator who lost his job turned to selling drugs as a way of making what he thought would be “quick and easy money”, a court has heard. Jack Arran had taken up the decorating trade after leaving prison and was “passionate” about the job until contracts dried up and he lost his employment. Sending the 29-year-old back to prison a judge told him he had been “a fool unto yourself”.
Georgia Donohue, prosecuting, told Swansea Crown Court that on January 31 this year police in Swansea investigating the operation of a drugs line known as the “Tweedy” line arrested Arran on Odo Street in the Hafod area of the city.
The defendant was searched and was found to be carrying a Nokia phone, a glass jar containing cannabis, £70 in cash, and two Valium tablets.
The court heard that when the home Arran shared with his parents was search officers recovered two sets of weighing scales containing traces of cocaine and cannabis, 11 wraps of crack cocaine, and a bag containing 54g of cocaine from his bedroom.
Police also found a quantity of pregabalin, bromazepam and Valium tablets.
The prosecutor said the defendant’s Nokia was examined and found to be the “Tweedy” drugs phone which had been sending out messages related to the supply of drugs since the previous October.
In his police interview the defendant answered “no comment” to all questions asked. Read about how the contents of a phone led to a major investigation which took down an organised crime group
Jack Arran, of Bush Road, Morriston, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to possession of crack cocaine with intent to supply, possession of cocaine with intent to supply, and possession of criminal property when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.
He has nine previous convictions for offences including unlawful wounding, possession of drugs, public disorder, and acquisitive offences. Don’t miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here
Dan Griffiths, for Arran, said then the defendant was released from his last custodial sentence in 2019 he resolved to lead a law-abiding life and secured work as a painter and decorator with a local firm, a job he was “passionate” about.
However, he said when contracts for the firm began to dry up the defendant lost his job and his self-esteem began to suffer.
The advocate said when Arran was at this “low ebb” he was offered what he thought at the time was a way of making “quick and easy money” by selling drugs.
Mr Griffiths said the defendant realises “he has made an appalling error of judgement”.
Judge Huw Rees told the defendant that if he returned to selling drugs he would face ever-longer sentences and would be wasting his life.
He told him: “You have been a fool unto yourself”. With a one-quarter discount for his guilty pleas Arran was sentenced to three years and four months in prison.
He will serve up to half that sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.
Get Swansea news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here. We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice
