Hartlepool dealer boasting he has the 'best gear in town'

Jay Matthews was stopped in his Audi A3 on Bousfield Lane, Stockton, at around 1am on September 10, 2020, on an unrelated matter when his stash of Class A drugs was recovered.

Teesside Crown Court heard how this wasn’t the first time that the 26-year-old had found himself before a court in connection with illicit drugs.

Jonathan Gittins, prosecuting, said: “During the search the defendant was found with a clear plastic bag and was asked what was in it and said it was cocaine for personal use.”

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He told the judge that the cocaine was of 13 per cent purity with an estimated value of £250.

The defendant was also in possession of £345 in cash and two mobile phones, one containing the message ‘best gear in town, drop off anywhere’.

Matthews, of Lowthian Road, Hartlepool, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to supply.

In 2017, he was given a one-year community order with 20 days’ rehabilitation activity and ordered to pay £80 costs after he was caught growing cannabis.

Nicci Horton, mitigating, said the cocaine was for her client’s own use and share with friends at a party.

She added: “He was a young man at the time and he had significant problems. This offence is now three years old and there has been no further offending since.”

Judge Chris Smith warned Matthews that he would be locked up if he appeared before the court again on drug charges.

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He said: “It has been said that this offence is borne out of your addiction to drugs.

“When I look at your record, it seems to me that you don’t really care what the law says about controlled drugs.

“It seems to me that you think you can do what you want when it comes to controlled drugs.”

The judge sentenced Matthews to 20 months in custody suspended for 18 months and ordered him to attend 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days and carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.