An uncle and his teenage nephew were running a “significant” cannabis dealing operation together, a court has heard. The dealing was uncovered after the nephew ran off from police when he was seen getting out of a taxi with a JD Sports bag containing cannabis deals.
Swansea Crown Court heard both 18-year-old Matthew Ahearne and his uncle Daniel Lloyd started using cannabis at an early age and were heavy uses of the drug. Days before the dealing came to light Lloyd had been subject to a serious assault by those to whom he owed money, an attack which left him with a broken leg that required surgery.
Ieuan Rees, prosecuting, said on April 29, 2023, police officers in the Townhill area of Swansea saw Ahearne getting out of a taxi carrying a JD Sports bag. The court heard that when the teenager saw the police he ran off into nearby gardens, throwing the bag away as he did so. Ahearne was chased and caught and was found to be carrying 3.6g of cannabis and a mobile phone. The court heard the defendant’s wallet was located nearby and was found to contain £1,005 in cash while the discarded JD Sports bag was found in a garden on Elphin Road and seized. Inside the bag were multiple smaller bags containing 1oz deals of cannabis.
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The court heard that after being arrested and questioned Ahearne was released under investigation while police downloaded and examined his phone. The prosecutor said on the device police found “hundreds” of messages offering cannabis for sale, most of which could be attributed to the co-defendant Lloyd. The information from the phone led officers to attend 28-year-old Lloyd’s address in August 2023 – both defendants were present and Ahearne was in his uncle’s bedroom along with 130g of cannabis and £828 in cash.
Matthew Ahearne, of Elwy Crescent, Townhill, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of cannabis with intent to supply, being concerned in the supply of cannabis between September 2022 and August 2023, and possession of criminal property – namely money – when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has no previous convictions. Daniel Lloyd, now of no fixed abode, had previously pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis with intent to supply, being concerned in the supply of cannabis between September 2022 and August 2023, and possession of criminal property – namely money – when he appeared alongside his nephew for sentencing. He has three previous convictions but not for offences of a like kind. For the latest court reports, sign up to our crime newsletter here
Stuart John, for Ahearne, said his client had fallen into cannabis use at a “very young age” and became addicted to the drug, an addiction which led him to incurring debts and then into dealing to discharge those debts. Dan Griffiths, for Lloyd, said the defendant’s “traumatic childhood experiences” had led him into cannabis use at a “very early age” and that the use of the drug gradually increased over time so that by the time he reached adulthood he was “heavily dependant” on it. He said the defendant had been candid with probation in saying that though he began dealing to fund his own use he decided to “upscale the operation” when he saw the profits that were to be made. The advocate added that in April 2023 the defendant was in debt and when those to whom he owned the money became “frustrated” that it was not being paid back he was subjected to a serious attack which left him with a broken leg that required surgery.
Recorder Aidan Eardley KC said it was clear from everything he had read that Lloyd had been the “leading force” in the operation and that his nephew, who had had been aged 16 and 17 at the time of the offending, had played a lesser role. He said the operation had involved sending out bulk text messages to up to 99 contacts, and said it had involved “significant” amounts of cannabis.
With a one-quarter discounts for his guilty pleas Ahearne was sentenced to 33 weeks detention in a young offenders institution suspended for 18 months and was ordered to do 40 hours of unpaid work in the community and to complete a rehabilitation course and a 12-month drug rehabilitation requirement. With one-quarter discounts for his guilty pleas Lloyd was sentenced to 45 weeks in prison suspended for 18 months and he was fined £200 and was ordered to complete a rehabilitation course and a 12-month drug rehabilitation requirement.
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The court heard both uncle and nephew began using cannabis at very young ages and were heavy users of the drug Read More