Wrexham,North Wales -- Drugs hidden in dishwasher at house in Wrexham, court told

Published date: 04 December 2015 | 

Published by: Staff reporter
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POLICE were suspicious of the elaborate security precautions taken at a modest house in Wrexham.

It had a reinforced garden gate and CCTV cameras covering the front door, which David Snell claimed was to protect his vintage scooters.

But when police searched the premises they found half a kilo of amphetamine – hidden in a dishwasher.

It was of a particularly high purity and would be worth more than £5,000 on the street.

Mold Crown Court heard yesterday that it turned out that Snell was the minder of the drugs for a dealer.

Judge Rhys Rowlands said he rejected Snell’s claim that the security measures were to protect his scooters.

It was to make it as difficult as possible for the police to enter and to protect the drugs, the judge said.

He jailed Snell for nine months and said he had been trusted by a significant dealer in the town “to provide a safe hiding hole” for the amphetamine.

It was accepted that Snell, 46, of Kingstown, Wrexham, was not going to sell it himself, but would supply it back to the dealer.

His partner, Corrine Yates, 42, of the same address, who suffers ill-health, admitted possessing amphetamine for her own use. She was fined £200 with £200 costs.

The judge said there was a surprising amount of benefits going into the house and if she could afford an amphetamine habit then she could afford a fine.

Prosecuting barrister James Coutts said the search of the couple’s property occurred in December of last year.

Amphetamine was found in a dishwasher, which was coming to an end of its cleaning cycle, and more than £1,500 in cash was seized.

Jonathan Austin, for Snell, said his client appreciated he was in a serious position.

He said the defendant was being paid “in kind” by being given drugs in order to look after the amphetamine.

His case was that the security was because he was a vintage scooter enthusiast and his scooters were valuable to him.

If he was jailed his partner would suffer because Snell was her carer, he said.

But t he judge said that while he was not unsympathetic, the defendant was using amphetamine and other drugs.

“I find it hard to believe that he is providing an awful lot of assistance in that condition,” he said.