Swansea ex-Tata steelworker turned to crime to pay off debts

A former Tata Steel worker was running a cocaine and cannabis edibles supply operation, a court has heard. Darren Phillips was intercepted by police en route to a customer with thousand of pounds worth of cocaine in his car - though he claimed he was merely driving to the hospital. Swansea Crown Court heard that when officers searched the house Phillips shared with his partner Melissa Barry they found a stash of THC or cannabis edibles in packets and jars, while messages found on the phone of Phillips' car passenger Thomas Chislett showed he was promoting "Chissy's sweet shop". Brian Simpson, prosecuting, told the court that on the afternoon of March 6 police stopped a car on Vicarage Road in Morriston . Phillips was the driver and Chislett was the passenger. He said officers noted that the occupants both appeared "nervous". The court heard that when the car was searched a bag containing 84g of cocaine of 79% purity was recovered along with a 170g of benzocaine - a common "cutting agent" used in preparing deals - sets of weighing scales, and £120 in cash. Wraps of 11% pure cocaine were also found on the centre console of the vehicle. The two men were searched and Phillips was found to be carrying £490 in cash. The total value of the cocaine recovered at the roadside was around £3,500. The men's phones were also seized. For the latest court stories sign up to our crime newsletter The court heard that police then searched the house Phillips shared with his partner Barry in the West Cross area of Swansea and found 145 packets of "THC edibles" and jars containing the same with a combined value of some £1,600. The prosecutor said an examination of Phillips' phone showed his involvement in dealing cocaine and showed that he and Chislett had been on the way to meet a customer when they were intercepted by police. The messages also showed Barry's involvement in weighing up and supplying drugs. The court heard that when officers examined Chislett's phone they found he had been advertising cannabis edibles for sale with the slogan "Chissy's sweet shop now open". A limited number of messages related to the supply of cannabis were also found on his phone. In his interview Phillips gave a prepared statement in which he accepted the bag in the car was his but denied selling drugs and said he had been on the way to hospital when officers stopped him. In his interview Chislett denied being involved in supplying cocaine and said the "sweet shop" messages had been a joke. Barry answered "no comment" to all questions asked in her interview. Darren Phillips, 39, of Kenilworth Place, West Cross , Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine, being concerned in the supply of THC, possession of cocaine with intent to supply, and possession of criminal property - cash - when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has two previous convictions for three offences but none for drugs matters. His last conviction was for drink-driving in 2019. Thomas Chislett, 33, of Heol Nant Gelli, Treboeth , Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine, being concerned in the supply of THC, and possession of cocaine with intent to supply when he appeared alongside his co-defendants. He has six previous convictions for eight offence but none for drugs matters. His last conviction was for being drunk and disorderly in 2018. Melissa Barry, 33, of now Sunningdale Avenue, Mayals, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to possession of THC with intent to supply when she appeared in the dock via prison videolink. She has no previous convictions. David Singh, for Phillips, said his client was a qualified electrician who for many years had worked in the steelworks in Port Talbot . He said having found himself in debt due to legal matters the defendant "took the well-trodden path" into supplying a drug he was addicted to. The barrister said Phillips "bitterly regrets" his actions and regrets involving his co-defendants in the endeavour, something he takes full responsibility for. Alycia Carpanini, for Chislett, said her client had been a heavy user of cocaine but said his nine-year-old daughter was his primary motivation for changing his life. She said the defendant had been working as a security guard and said he had the prospect of securing work in the construction industry in the future. Sarah John, for Barry, invited the court to follow the recommendations in the pre-sentence report as far as her client was concerned. Recorder Mark Powell KC said Phillips had been "entirely frank" in taking responsibility for what happened and "respectful" of the situation of the co-defendants. With a one-third discount for his guilty pleas Phillips was sentenced to three years in prison. He will serve up to half the sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. With a one-quarter discount for his guilty pleas - pleas entered at a later stage than his co-defendants' - Chislett was sentenced to three years in prison suspended for three years. He was also ordered to abide by a 12-month drug rehabilitation requirement. The recorder said were it not for a change in the law which came into effect in March allowing sentences of up to three years to be suspended rather than the previous two years, Chislett would have received a sentence of immediate custody. With a one-third discount for her pleas Barry was sentenced to 20 months in prison suspended for two years and was ordered to complete a rehabilitation course. Recorder Powell said Barry had been "very much on the periphery" of the operation.