A dad who hid cocaine in his kitchen along with thousands of pounds in cash has been sentenced.
Paul Fisher, 35, appeared before Swindon Crown Court on Wednesday, February 19 charged with possession with intent to supply and money laundering offences.
The court heard from Mr Pine, prosecuting, that during a raid of his Chippenham home, officers found 70 grams of cocaine packaged up with labels referring to the purity of the drugs, with a total value of just over £6,000.
In his bedroom, police seized £4,620 stashed into five bundles, scales in a kitchen drawer and a BB gun in a kitchen cupboard, but Fisher denied it was his home and gave officers a different address, which was found to be completely empty.
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Fisher was said to have around £100,000 in various bank accounts and purchased five gold bars worth £19,000 between 2019 and 2020.
He was arrested in February 2021 and his bank statements showed thousands of pounds moving between his and his partner’s accounts, which officers linked to the supply of cocaine.
Mr Pine told the court about Fisher’s previous convictions, which started from a young age with Fisher attending a youth offender’s institution for robbery, moving onto actual bodily harm, possession of cocaine in 2013 and being jailed for 54 months in 2014 for possession with intent to supply the Class A drug.
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He added that Fisher’s actions were an example of a “drug dealing enterprise” in which the 35-year-old played a “leading role.”
Fisher had previously pleaded not guilty to the charges, later changing his plea on January 6 before a trial could go ahead.
In mitigation, Mr Edwards, defending, argued that the drug packages seized from Fisher's home were “not indicative of a leading role” and instead were part of a drug dealing chain, but there was no evidence that Fisher had actively been selling the cocaine directly to users.
He added that Fisher had spent several years of his life abiding by the law and was not someone who was released from prison and “getting up to their old tricks as soon as they’re released."
Fisher was hired as an agency worker at the Honda branch in Swindon, later being permanently employed as a painter and decorator, but he was laid off due to the closure.
However, Mr Edwards said Fisher had demonstrated “resolve and determination” during this time and had gone on to try to set up his own recovery business called Big Boys Recovery operating across the South West, but it was not financially viable.
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It was after these two “concerted efforts” and financial challenges amid the pandemic that Fisher “fell back into drug dealing”, after trying “as best he can to lead a law-abiding and fulfilling life.”
Additionally, Fisher had experienced some challenging health issues and was spending some of the money acquired by drug dealing on a gambling addiction, which saw him banned from local bookmakers.
The court heard how Fisher’s sentence would have a significant impact on his two-year-old son, who was said to have outbursts and become angry and upset when separated from his dad, as well as Fisher’s long-term partner.
His Honour Judge JN Townsend concluded that Fisher played a “significant rather than leading role” in dealing cocaine, but it was “comfortably within the significant role” and his previous conviction was an aggravating feature, but acknowledged Fisher had managed to stay out of trouble since being charged.
He was sentenced to a total of three years in prison and must serve at least 40 per cent of this sentence before being eligible to be released on licence.
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