Gosport drug courier jailed for more than three years
Alfred Hema put his head in his hands as a judge sentenced him to three-and-a-half years after a short trial.
Family man Hema, 36, of Long Drive, Rowner, mouthed '˜I'm sorry' to his partner as he was led down to the cells at Portsmouth Crown Court on Wednesday.
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Hide AdThe court heard how he was stopped in his street in Gosport while driving and officers found 128 grams of the class A drug in five lumps.
He had denied possession with intent to supply but a jury found him guilty of the single count.
Prosecutor James Kellam told how police drug expert Mick Ellis analysed the drugs and circumstances, concluding Hema had acted as a courier.
The drugs have a retail value of £12,000, judge William Ashworth told the court in the hearing.
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Hide AdJurors, who unanimously convicted the defendant, looked on as his partner wept in the public gallery.
Sentencing, the judge said: '˜You have been found guilty of possessing 128g of cocaine with intent to supply it.
'˜The evidence is fairly straightforward.
'˜You were stopped by police, the drugs were in your car.
'˜You have given an explanation it was for your own personal use, which is not true.
'˜There were five golf ball-sized lumps of cocaine '“ the retail value as sold over £12,000 '“ is evidence itself that you had some awareness of the scale of the operation.'
The judge said there was no evidence Hema had '˜a more significant role' in the drugs operation.
Sam Trefgarne, mitigating, said Hema was simply a courier and was not selling.