A DRUG dealer was found with £700 of cannabis and a knife when police pulled him over on suspicion of driving without insurance, Cardiff Crown Court heard today.
Mohammad Javadi-Zadeh, 43, of Adamsdown, also had £509 in cash. He initially denied intent to supply, but later pleaded guilty to that charge and carrying a knife.
His Vauxhall Vectra was pulled over on June 29, 2017, on Richmond Road in Roath. After smelling cannabis, officers searched his car and found the knife in the driver’s door. Underneath the seat in a plastic lunchbox was cannabis packed in small plastic bags.
Police counted 32 baggies containing a total of 70.1 grams of cannabis.
Searching Javadi-Zadeh’s home in Broadway, police found a further £485 cash in a microwave oven, and a black Nokia phone with contact addresses in Cardiff and “drug dealing texts” saved on it.
A second phone was found under the driver’s seat of his car and a third was attached to the window screen.
At first Javadi-Zadeh said he had been given the cannabis by a friend to repay a debt.
He said the money in the microwave was payment for work as a handyman and he had forgotten to put the knife back in his toolbox.
Judge Rees QC sentenced Mr Javadi-Zadeh to 12 months in prison, eight for possession with intent to supply and four for carrying a knife without good reason.
John Warren, prosecuting, said: “He was distributing drugs in student areas of Cardiff. He had a knife in the front of the car with him as part of his activities in selling drugs.”
Huw Bowden, defending, said: “He had the knife due to his trade as a handyman, and it was not meant to be used for violence but left there absentmindedly. He is effectively a delivery driver and regrets getting involved with people who told him he could make easy money. He has no previous convictions.”
Judge Rees QC told Javadi-Zadeh: “It is quite clear you are a street dealer. The amount of cannabis makes it clear that you were part of a commercial operation.
“Even though your role was dealing with customers, parliament has made it clear that the courts should not tolerate those who carry knives in public places. If you go back to dealing drugs and come back before the court, the sentence will be considerably longer.”
