A COCAINE dealer was caught with a bag full of high purity drugs after the car he was travelling in broke down near a garage.

Ryan Fennell, 24, from Penarth, tried to hide his stash under another vehicle at Barry’s at PW Millar Ltd on Port Road East, prosecutor Jenny Yeo said.

But the drugs, carried in a JD Sports bag, were found by the police and the defendant soon arrested.

Mrs Yeo said: “Officers found cocaine with a purity of 87 per cent which had a potential value of between £160 and £390.

“They were divided up into street deals. Police also found cannabis worth a total of £390.

“A mobile phone was also recovered with drug related text messages and Facebook messages.

“There were offers of ‘sniff for sale’. There were 45 pages of Facebook messages and a tick list.”

Fennell pleaded guilty to the possession of cocaine and cannabis with intent to supply.

The offences were committed on August 7, 2019.

Cardiff Crown Court heard how Fennell was jailed for 44 months last year for trafficking cocaine and cannabis in Barry.

He served a 36-month custodial sentence in 2016 for conspiracy to supply class A and class C drugs.

Julia Cox, representing the defendant, said he had endured a difficult childhood and that his mother was a single mother and a heroin addict.

His barrister added her client, a labourer, had experienced financial difficulties after a work injury.

Fennell, now of Parc Prison, Bridgend, was jailed for two years by Recorder Duncan Bould.

He must also pay a victim surcharge following his release from custody.