A drug dealer who made multiple journeys between Cardiff and Birmingham to collect Class A substances was found in possession of 248g of cocaine. It’s estimated he collected in the region of £200,000 worth of cocaine during the trips. Ethan Ernest, 30, was stopped by police on the M50 in the west Midlands while driving a Peugeot 308 on April 14 following intelligence received from the regional organised crime unit in south Wales. He was making a return journey to Cardiff having stopped off in Birmingham for a matter of minutes.
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday heard a search of the car resulted in a block of cocaine weighing 248g being discovered. Prosecutor Thomas Stanway told the court the value of the cocaine was between £7,000 and £10,000. Also found in the defendant’s possession was 0.6g of cannabis and a total of £2,210 in cash. A number of mobile phones were seized and Ernest’s driving licence was found to have expired.
A search was carried out at his address in Ludlow Close, Grangetown, where further electronic devices were seized as well as scales, grip seal bags, 12g of benzocaine, Versace cosmetics bags, and a flick knife. An examination of Ernest’s phone revealed he had made 15 trips from Cardiff to Birmingham and back between July 26, 2023, and March 14 this year with the defendant using four different cars.
Ernest later pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine, possession with intent to supply cocaine, possession of cannabis and criminal property, driving while disqualified, and driving without insurance and a licence. In mitigation, Martha Smith-Higgins said her client suffered a number of deaths in recent years including that of his grandparents, aunt, and uncle which led him to using cocaine and cannabis and building up a debt.
Not only was he misusing drugs but he also has a gambling addiction, she said. Ms Smith-Higgins said her client has two children he rarely has contact with and feels “ashamed to have let his family down”. Recorder Alun Eynon-Evans sentenced Ernest to a total of seven years and two months imprisonment. He was also disqualified from driving for 42 months.