A READING man has been jailed for five-and-a-half years for a string of drugs offences, including intending to supply heroin and cocaine.
Joel Cooper, aged 54 and of Kendrick Road, Reading, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to supply a class A drug, namely cocaine and heroin, on June 29 at Reading Crown Court.
Then, at the same court, on Monday, August 24, Cooper was handed a jail sentence of five years and six months.
The court also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of an amount of cash and a Nissan Juke, as well as a Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) confiscation hearing.
It follows an incident on June 4, when, at around 3.35pm officers conducted a search of a white Nissan Juke under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act at Tesco Petrol Station on Napier Road.
They found thirty wraps of crack cocaine and heroin concealed within the driver’s door armrest, as well as a plastic bag containing more than 10g of crack cocaine.
Cooper, who was driving the car, was also found in possession of £590 in cash, and more than £150 in coins was located in the boot of the vehicle.
A further search of Cooper’s home uncovered five packages of cocaine in a wardrobe, as well as digital scales, pre-cut cling film rolls, and a further wrap of crack cocaine.
The estimated street value of the drugs found totalled around £2,100.
The search also uncovered keys to another address, which upon a further search, uncovered a bag containing more evidence of drugs handling.
These included a Stanley brand knife showing white residue, two containers of bicarbonate of soda, and a ladle, which was also showing white residue.
Cooper was arrested on the same day and charged the following day.
Investigating officer PC Tina Brett of the Reading Neighbourhood Disruptions Team said:
“Cooper showed a blatant disregard for the law in the form of supplying class A drugs within Reading and its communities.
“Our team will target and prosecute offenders, and our activity will be both visible and covert aimed at disrupting and pursuing offenders involved in the supply of drugs.
“The information from the public around the drug supply offences in Reading plays an important role in developing intelligence into a proactive investigation.”
