A man has been jailed after police discovered a stash of illegal drugs at his home in Stafford, including cocaine left on a bedside table. Malcolm David Arnold, 52, of Highfields, was sentenced to one year in prison at North Staffordshire Justice Centre on Thursday, April 16, after pleading guilty to multiple drug offences.
Incident Details
Officers from Stafford Borough local policing team (LPT) visited Arnold's property off Barnes Road on an unrelated matter earlier this month. Upon being invited inside, they immediately spotted cocaine on a bedside table. A subsequent search revealed more than 120 tablets, drug paraphernalia, and two mobile phones containing drug-related messages.
Charges and Sentencing
Arnold pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of class A drugs (cocaine and magic mushrooms), possession of class B drugs (monkey dust), supply of class B drugs (monkey dust), and possession of class C drugs (tramadol and pregabalin). He was already subject to a suspended sentence for similar offences at the time of his arrest.
In addition to the jail term, the drugs were ordered to be forfeited and destroyed, and Arnold was ordered to pay a surcharge of £154.
Police Comments
PC Nathan Hancock, the officer in the case, said: “When Arnold invited us into his property, there were drugs clearly in the premises that we were able to see and seize. I am pleased he admitted his offending in court and was handed a jail term for his clear involvement in drug supply in Stafford.”
Sergeant Ewan Lunn, who supervised the case, added: “We are determined to disrupt the supply of illegal substances in Stafford and will continue to work with partners to protect our communities from harm.”
A force spokesperson urged the public to report suspicious activity by calling 101, using Live Chat on the police website, or calling 999 in an emergency. Anonymous reports can be made via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
