Hadlow Dealer Jailed Nearly Three Years for Cocaine Sales to Feed Cannabis Habit
A Hadlow man caught selling cocaine claimed he did it to fund a serious cannabis addiction. Stephen Gould, 24, was busted with drugs stashed under his kitchen sink and inside his clothes during a police raid last year.
Police Find Cocaine and Cannabis Hidden in Home
Officers from the Tonbridge Community Policing Team executed a search warrant at Gould’s Mill View residence in the early hours of 18 July 2018. They uncovered herbal cannabis worth around £1,250 hidden beneath the kitchen sink. A jacket in the living room contained enough cocaine to make up to 30 street deals.
Drug Dealing Evidence Stacks Up
- A customer list was found in a bedroom.
- More than £1,000 in cash was seized.
- Multiple empty deal bags and five burner phones indicated active drug sales.
- Digital scales confirmed the dealing operation.
Guilty Plea Lands Prison Sentence
Gould admitted selling cocaine during police interviews but claimed he was merely supplying drugs on behalf of others, receiving cannabis deliveries to feed his addiction. He pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court and was sentenced on 25 April 2019 to two years and eight months behind bars.
“We work tirelessly to tackle drug misuse and supply,” said PC James O’Gorman, who led the investigation. “Our officers know the users and dealers operating in our communities, which helps us stop criminals like Gould.”
“We rely on local residents to report suspicious activity. Your information keeps Hadlow safe.”
