Ipswich man denies being part of cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis dealing operation

Police officers saw a man using a mobile phone while driving a Renault Clio near Eustace Road in Ipswich and turned their car round with the intention of stopping the vehicle, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

They activated their car’s flashing lights and drove into Eustace Road where they found the Clio which had been abandoned, said Isobel Ascherson, prosecuting.

During a search of the vehicle they found a rucksack in a rear passenger footwell and a black holdall in the boot of the car which contained drugs and around £2,000 cash.

The court heard that the total street value of the cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis found in the car was more than £4,000.

When the bags containing the drugs were examined, Spall’s DNA was allegedly found in four places on packages containing all three drugs, said Miss Ascherson.

Robert Spall, 27, of Deben Road, Ipswich, has denied possessing cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis with intent to supply on July 21 last year.

Giving evidence, Spall said his two regular drug dealers came to his house with a holdall containing drugs and had got out a large bag of cannabis and showed it to him.

He had examined the cannabis and smelled it before agreeing to buy a quarter or half an ounce which was put into a plastic cup from his kitchen.

He claimed he was then shown a large bag containing cocaine which he was allowed to taste it before giving it back because he didn’t like the taste of it.

He was then passed two small wraps of cocaine from the holdall and he had handled them before deciding to buy one of them.

He said he hadn’t bought any ecstasy that day and his DNA could have got on the packaging when he put his hand in the holdall containing the other drugs.

Cross-examined by Miss Ascherson, Spall denied being involved in selling drugs to feed his own addiction.

“I’ve messed up my life by having a dirty addiction but I’m not what you are trying to make me out to be,” said Spall.

The trial continues.