Sealed bags of heroin and cocaine were found in a man's underwear after he was searched by officers in a police station.

Two street-level drug dealers were the subject of a stop by police while they were on their mobile ‘round’, a court heard.

Officers pulled over a Vauxhall Astra driven by Christopher Wilkinson in Essington Way, Peterlee, early on the afternoon of June 9, 2022.

Durham Crown Court was told co-accused Neil Blair was his front seat passenger.

Asked about the purpose of the journey, Wilkinson replied that he was, “just driving about”.

(Image: Durham Constabulary) They were told they would be searched and one of the officers found £300 on Wilkinson, who also had a blister pack containing pregabalin pills.

A blue carrier bag was found under the front passenger seat containing boxes of diazepam, and Blair immediately claimed it was for his own personal use.

Reece Williams, prosecuting, said both were arrested and taken to Durham Police Station where Blair drew attention to himself by acting in a nervous manner and fidgeting, so he was searched.

Police recovered 19 resealable bags containing brown powder and 12 containing white powder, all from his underwear.

Mr Williams said when tested, the brown powder was found to be heroin and the white powder was cocaine.

Street valuations for the various drugs recovered by police were estimated to be between £543 and £804.

(Image: Durham Constabulary) Wilkinson, 35, of Grange Court, Shotton Colliery, and 33-year-old Blair, of Front Street East, Haswell, both admitted two counts each of possessing drugs of class A and C with intent to supply.

The court heard both have “relevant” previous convictions, but both dating back a number of years.

Martin Scarborough, for Wilkinson, said these matters date back more than two years, since when the defendant, at the time a cocaine user, has managed to overcome the addiction that got him into this trouble.

Mr Scarborough added that the defendant pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, in the magistrates’ court.

(Image: Durham Constabulary) Calum McNicholas, for Blair, said he was at the bottom of the chain and following instructions from those above, with the only relevant messaging found on his phone all being instructions to him as to what he was to do at their behest.

Mr McNicholas said the defendant’s previous similar conviction dated back to 2013 and featured only class B drugs.

Judge Francis Laird KC said he considered Wilkinson played “a significant role” in what was “street dealing”, but he accepted Blair played a “lesser role”.

He imposed prison sentences of three years and eight months on Wilkinson and 30-months on Blair.

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The judge told both they would serve 40-per cent of the sentence in custody before their release subject to licence conditions.

He also ordered confiscation of the £300 recovered from Wilkinson, and forfeiture and destruction of the various substances seized by police.

In the circumstances of the involvement of both defendants he said there would be no proceeds of crime application.