Drug dealer jailed after using elderly man's Salisbury home for illegal activity
24 year William Whitehead was found at an address on Catherine Street
Wiltshire Police went along to the property in December 2019, along with social services staff, following reports of drug use and cuckooing at the home of a vulnerable elderly man.
Cuckooing is where someone takes advantage of a person's home to use it as a base for illegal activity.
The elderly man let officers in and they found Whitehead hiding in a locked room.
Outside the window of that room, police found a rucksack containing cash, a sports sock with a white powder inside, a clear plastic bag containing a white powder, a bad with an unknown substance in it and another sports sock with rolls of bank notes inside.
Whitehead was arrested and the cash seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
The drugs were analysed and found to be £2,760 worth of ketamine and cocaine valued at around £160 to £220.
He's appeared before Salisbury Crown Court (on Friday 15th January) and been sentenced to 8 months in prison, with a further 4 months to run concurrently for possession with intent to supply Class B drugs and possession of a Class A drug.
PC Jack Combellack said:
"We welcome a custodial sentence, as this represents a serious crime with real victims in our communities. Wiltshire Police is committed to tackling drug dealing, cuckooing and dangerous drug networks wherever or however they attempt to operate.
"I hope this sends a clear message to anyone engaging in cuckooing and drug dealing that we are actively looking for you, we will find you, and we will put you before a court."
If you suspect cuckooing or drug dealing to be taking place, you can report it by calling Wiltshire Police on 101 or by calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.