A judge has told two Aberystwyth drug dealers that the courts would do what it had to do to take them off the streets.

Lee Walsh, 37, of 7 Yr Hafan Princess Street was jailed for 32 months and Luke Hutton, 25, of 9 Corporation Street, was jailed for three years when they appeared in Swansea Crown Court after admitting possession of cocaine with intent to supply and possessing criminal property, namely cash.

On 14 November, police in Aberystwyth went to Walsh's flat to execute a search warrant. As officers arrived they saw a group of people outside the property including Walsh and Hutton.

When the defendants saw police approach they walked away - Walsh was detained at the property while Hutton ran off but was chased and caught.

When Walsh was searched he was found to be in possession of a small bag of cannabis, £160 in cash, and a mobile phone. When Hutton was searched he was found to be carrying £8,795 in cash and a mobile phone.

Dean Pulling, prosecuting ,said Hutton was seen trying to conceal something down his underwear so was strip searched in custody and a wrap of white powder was recovered from his groin area.

The court heard that a search of Walsh’s bedroom uncovered £850 cash laid out in piles on the bed, a silver knuckleduster, and five mobile phones.

There was also a large kitchen knife hidden under the bed. From elsewhere in the flat officers recovered a bag of white powder, a set of scales with white powder residue on them, and a bank card in the name of Walsh with white powder on it.

A search of Hutton’s address found £1,060 in cash on top of an air fryer in the kitchen, a quantity of bicarbonate of soda, and a number of empty snap-seal bags.

Ryan Bowen, for Walsh said in his own words the defendant had experienced an "absolutely horrible" childhood at the hands of his mother's new partner and had attended 14 different schools during his upbringing, and he said his client's use of cannabis had gone "hand-in-hand with his formative years".

Jon Tarrant, for Hutton, said his client could not recall a day in the last two years when he was not "seeking or taking cocaine".

Judge Vanessa Francis said it was apparent from everything that she had read that both the defendants were involved in dealing with the expectation of making significant financial gain, telling Hutton: "You said to the author of the pre-sentence report that after your benefits were stopped 'you did what you had to do'. The court will do what it has to do to take people off the streets who spread the misery of drug supply".

Hutton was sentenced to three years in prison and Walsh to 32 months in prison. The defendants will serve up to half the sentences in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.