A Lowestoft man, who was found to have a quantity of ketamine in his flat when police raided the property, has been jailed for 16 months.
Twenty wraps of ketamine, weighing 36.3g, were found in a grip seal bag under a cushion on a chair and £1,000 cash was also discovered hidden in DVD cases in the flat in Park Road, Lowestoft, Ipswich Crown Court heard.
Before the court last week was Nicky Bates, 26, who admitted possessing ketamine with intent to supply and possessing a wrap of cannabis in October last year.
Jailing Bates for 16 months, Judge John Devaux said he had a number of previous convictions for drug offences going back to 2009.
The court heard that in September 2014 Bates was jailed for 16 months for possessing ketamine and cannabis with intent to supply after police raided his former home in Cambridge Road, Lowestoft in March 2014 and found drugs at the premises.
Joe Bird, for Bates, said his client admitted possessing ketamine with intent to supply in October last year on the basis he was looking after it for someone else. He said his client recognised the serious situation in which he found himself.
He said on this occasion Bates had needed cash fast and had agreed to hold the drugs for someone else.
After the case a police spokesman said: 'Officers from the east Scorpion pro-active team, based in Lowestoft, went to the address in Park Road around 5.45pm on Friday, October 16 last year to execute a Misuse of Drugs Act warrant. Police got into the flat and began a search, while other officers located Bates nearby.
'Police seized more than £1,000 in cash (£1,085 in total), mobile phones, wraps and a bag of white powder, digital scales and grip bags.'
The drugs were found underneath the seating cushion of a chair – as pictured – and the black wrap contained ketamine, which was found along with individual wraps of the drug. Text messages relating to the supply of drugs were found on one of the phones, according to police.
Officer in the case, PC Steve Brown, said: 'Bates has a history of drug supply in the town and we're pleased he has been jailed. The sentence sends a clear message that drug dealing will be dealt with by police and that it is treated seriously by the courts.'
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