Mansfield heroin dealer snared after cops smelled cannabis

Police passed Ashley Matthews’ address on Corporation Street, on December 8, last year, and the smell sparked a search which yielded £30 of cannabis and four wraps of heroin, worth between £35 and £65.

His mobile phone was checked and police established he had been dealing heroin and cannabis.

Matthews, 25, of Arundel Drive, admitted possession of 2.74 grammes of cannabis with intent to supply and possession of 0.63 grammes of heroin with intent to supply, on December 8, supplying heroin, between December 1 and December 8, and supplying cannabis between December 3 and December 8, last year, when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court, on Wednesday.

The court heard he had no previous convictions for drugs.

Richard Etherington, mitigating, said: “In essence, he acted as a runner for another drug dealer further up the chain. He would distribute them to the end users.

“He has no useful skills to find meaningful work and this is why he turned to drug deals to fund his lifestyle.”

He said Matthews began dealing to fund a £100 per day cannabis habit.

Mr Etherington said Matthews was an “active dad” to his eight-month-old son, and “desperately wants to be a good father.”

Matthews was bailed to Nottingham Crown Court, on May 24, because magistrates ruled their sentencing powers were insufficient.