Dealer Norris Minott caught twice with stashes of drugs, Leicester court told

A dealer caught twice in three months with stashes of class A drugs has been jailed for four years.

Norris Minott (31) admitted possessing heroin and crack-cocaine with intent to supply, between March and June 2011.

Police twice executed search warrants at the home of his girlfriend, Carla Galloway, in Abingdon Road, Highfields, Leicester.

Galloway (27), who admitted allowing her premises to be used for supplying class A drugs, was given a two-year community order with supervision and told to do a six-month drug rehabilitation programme.

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Leicester Crown Court was told that during the first search, on March 27, officers looked inside an electricity meter cupboard, in a communal hallway, and found four wraps of crack-cocaine totalling 6.63 grams and one-and-a-half kilos of a white powder cutting agent, which was indicative of dealing taking place.

James Varley, prosecuting, said that £3,675 in cash was seized, although £2,000 of it was later confirmed as legitimate money from Galloway's savings plan.

Both were released on bail.

Mr Varley said when the police executed a second search warrant they found a sock, stuffed inside a floorboard hole under a carpet, on the communal stairs.

It contained 24.24 grams of crack-cocaine and 3.93 grams of heroin.

Minott's fingerprint was found on a drugs wrapper, along with the fingerprint of another man believed to be more heavily involved in dealing.

Officers recovered £1,500 from the flat.

Mr Varley said: "We know there were other people involved. It was a fairly substantial operation and the defendant wasn't going out selling on the streets."

Minott, now of no fixed abode, had previous convictions including an offence of supplying heroin seven years ago.

Edward Barr, mitigating, said Minott had been on remand in custody since the second drugs raid 18 months ago, which had given him "time to think".

He said: "My client was in a subservient role to those further up the chain."

James Thomas, for Galloway, now of Neston Road, Saffron Lane, said: "Her family are concerned about her drug problem and have been trying to support her.

"She felt unable to stop the activity at her home and didn't know the precise nature of the drugs, or the amount involved."

She was abroad visiting relatives in April and May, returning shortly before the second raid.

Mr Thomas said: "She didn't take the appropriate action to try to put a stop to it. She's suffered with depression, panic attacks and anxiety about the case."

The couple were still in an on-going relationship, the court was told.

Galloway further admitted possessing criminal property, in relation to a £50 garment found a her flat.