Six years for Telford dealer
A drug dealer has been sentenced to six years in prison for his role in supplying class A drugs in Telford and South Wales.
Esten Bennett, of no fixed abode, was sentenced on Friday (January 10) at Shrewsbury Crown Court after he previously pleaded guilty to three counts of possession with intent to supply class A drugs, and two counts of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.
Officers from Telford’s Proactive CID had intelligence that the 31-year-old was linked to drug supplies in Telford based off intelligence they had gained.
On July 18, 2024 officers saw Bennett sitting in his parked car on Oakengates High Street and moved fast to arrest him.
Once Bennett was under arrest, officers carried out a search of his car which contained £305 cash and heroin estimated to be worth £200. Crack cocaine worth an estimated £460 was also found in Bennett’s trouser pocket.
Officers then carried out a search oh Bennett’s house in Hadley, where they found £1,910 in cash, scales and quantities of class A drugs, along with wrappings used to bag drugs for selling. Over 60 messages were also found on his phone relating to selling drugs.
Bennett was charged the same day he was arrested and pleaded guilty at Kidderminster Magistrates Court in July 2024.
Detective Constable Stuart Bott, said: “This sentencing sends a strong message to people who think we will accept drug dealing within our communities, as drugs bring so much devastation to so many people in our towns and villages.
“Our team work tirelessly to identify anyone suspected in being involved in drugs and drugs supply, and bringing Bennett to justice follows extensive work from the team and intelligence given to us by the public.
“I’d like to thank everyone who gave us information which ultimately helped to lead to this conviction. We will continue to do everything in our power to bring more people to justice and stop the crippling impact drugs have on our communities.”
- The local community can help us by continuing to report any signs of criminal activity – the easiest way to do this is on our website. Any bit of information, no matter how small it may seem, could help make a big difference. You can report online under the Tell Us About section on our website: https://www.westmercia.police.uk/
- If you have information about drugs and drugs supply and don’t want to speak to police you can report information anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or https://crimestoppers-uk.org/
