'Remember this moment' judge tells Shrewsbury cocaine dealer as he passes sentence

Martin Edwards, 29, of Abbots Way, Shrewsbury, appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court where he admitted one charge of being concerned in the supply of a class A drug - cocaine.

Edwards also admitted charges of driving without a licence and without insurance.

Aaron Lyn-Kew, prosecuting, said that police had been on patrol in the Mereside area of Shrewsbury at 2.50pm on December 18 when they saw the occupant of a black VW T1 involved in what appeared to be a drug deal with a pedestrian.

The van was seen to drive onto Sutton Way and then onto Sunnybank Road.

The court heard that the vehicle was stopped and three mobile phones were seized from Edwards and a woman in the car with him.

Police found two small snap bags of cocaine in a coffee cup, and £363 in cash.

Analysis of a phone belonging to Edwards showed that he had been involved in three drug deals over the previous month.

Rob Edwards, mitigating on the defendant's behalf, said that he was a man who had been 'naively' involved in drug dealing for a short period of time 'having no idea it was so serious'.

He added: "He should never have been involved in this."

Mr Edwards told the court the defendant had been struggling with finances - specifically to find money to pay for Christmas presents for his family, and had turned to the sale of drugs.

He added that Mr Edwards had significant family support, and had a good prospect of rehabilitation.

Sentencing, Judge Recorder Anthony Warner said: "The prisons in this country are full of people, but people who have been involved in the supply, or concerned in the supply of class A drugs, and you now find yourself in the dock of the crown court charged with such an offence, but in the more limited circumstances that have been explained to me than is sometimes the case.

"But as Mr Edwards has rightly pointed out, sometimes the consequence for people in your position is away they go to prison for a period of years."

However, Recorder Warner said he would spare Edwards immediate jail time.

He sentenced him to two years in prison, suspended for two years.

As part of the suspended sentence order he must complete 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 90 hours unpaid work.

He was also given a combined total of nine penalty points for his driving licence for the two driving offences.

Judge Warner added: "Remember this moment. Remember how it felt sitting there waiting to here from someone like me what is going to happen for the next period of your life."