Inside the holdall police found three 1kg bags of herbal cannabis
A MARTIAL arts instructor from Swansea who was stopped by police with more than 3kg of cannabis in the boot of his BMW has avoided jail.
Swansea Crown Court heard that an officer pulled over Hywel Aaron James Morrish's car as it drove westbound along the M4 in Port Talbot just after midday on January 13.
Kevin Jones, prosecuting, said that as the PC approached the car she saw the sole occupant - Morrish - trying to hide something under the front passenger's seat of the vehicle.
Morrish was taken to the officer's patrol car and back-up was called for.
The barrister said that when the additional officers arrived and the BMW was searched, they found a brown "handbag" containing a quantity of herbal cannabis and cannabis resin in individual wraps ready for supply under the front seat - and three large 1kg packages of herbal cannabis in a sports holdall in the boot.
The value of the cannabis in the boot was put at up to £30,000.
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Police found 3kg of cannabis in the boot of Hywel Morrish's BMW
Officers also recovered two mobile phones containing texts relating to the supply of drugs.
A subsequent search of the 43-year-old's house uncovered £8,140 in cash in a bedroom.
Morrish, of Eaton Crescent, Uplands, Swansea, pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis and cannabis resin with intent to supply, and to possessing criminal property — the £8,140 — when he appeared in the dock today.
Paul Hobson, for Morrish, said his client had a good job and contributed to society positively by coaching martial arts.
He said there had already been a number of consequences for the defendant including the loss of this previously clean character, and the fact he had moved out of the family home and his now ex-partner felt "utterly betrayed" by what he had done.
Judge Keith Thomas said Morrish had been running a "substantial commercial operation" for purely monetary gain.
He sentenced Morrish to 20 months in prison suspended for 18 months, and ordered him to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.
A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing will be held at a later date.
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