Concerns raised by council staff about activity at a Wrexham flat led to the discovery of a drug supply operation and a 28-month prison sentence for a father of four.
Zak De-Gale, 31, of Y Wern, Caia Park, Wrexham, had previously pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of ecstasy, being concerned in the supply of cannabis, being concerned in the supply of cocaine, and possession of cocaine with intent to supply.
Council visit triggers police raid
The offences came to light in August 2024 after Wrexham Council became concerned that De-Gale's flat in the Plas Madoc area was not being occupied exclusively by the defendant as per the tenancy agreement, prosecutor Samuel Wiggs told Caernarfon Crown Court.
Council officers attended the address and found what they believed to be cannabis, and as a result they contacted the police. Officers subsequently searched the property and found bags of white and pink powder, later identified as ecstasy, as well as more than 44g of cannabis and almost 83g of high-purity cocaine worth up to £8,300.
Phone evidence and tick list
The defendant was arrested the following day at his partner's flat and his phone was seized. Messages recovered from the device showed De-Gale's involvement in drug supply, and a piece of paper found between the phone and the case turned out to be a tick list showing amounts of money owed.
The 31-year-old answered "no comment" to all questions asked in interview. He has 16 previous convictions for 32 offences, including the simple possession of cannabis and cocaine, affray, and assaulting an emergency worker.
Sentence
Alun Williams, for De-Gale, said the defendant is a father of four, though he does not live with his children as a family unit. He said there was "no justifiable reason" for the two-year delay in the case, and said since his arrest in 2024 his client had served a custodial sentence for other matters before the drug offences came to court.
Judge Daniel Williams said based on everything he knew about the defendant there was no realistic prospect of rehabilitation at the present time. With a one-third discount for his guilty pleas, De-Gale was sentenced to 28 months in prison. He will serve up to half the sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.
