Police found thousands of pounds worth of cocaine when they swooped on the home of a Thaxted man.

Lee Holt, 31, of Bardfield End Villas, Thaxted, denied but was convicted by a Chelmsford Crown Court jury of possessing cocaine with intent to supply and was jailed for seven years.

He admitted another charge of having two counterfeit £20 notes and was given a concurrent sentence of nine months' imprisonment.

Judge Benjamin Pearson told Holt: "You are a drug trafficker - pure and simple. I have no doubt that your operation was highly organised and professional."

Mark Halsey, prosecuting, said on June 26 last year police went to Holt's home at Thaxted with a search warrant.

He was asked if there were any drugs on the premises and replied, "yes".

He took officers to his study and indicated the bottom drawer of his desk. Inside was a carrier bag with a plastic box containing a large quantity of cocaine.

Also found were a set of electronic scales and a metal scalpel with white powder on it.

Holt remarked: "I suppose this means a couple of years."

In all police recovered 41.129 grammes of cocaine with a street value of between £2,467 and £4,112.

There were 44 small bags containing cocaine "bagged up and ready to supply to other persons," said Mr Halsey.

From a bedroom cupboard police seized £960 in cash and another £90 in a wallet.

In evidence, Holt denied that he intended to supply the drugs to anyone.

He claimed he was holding the cocaine for another man who had subsequently died from a drugs' overdose.

He said he did not mention the man's name to the police at the time because he did not want to blacken the man's name for the sake of his family.

Judge Pearson said Holt had told lies to the jury and they had seen through it.

He told Holt he had been engaged in a trade "which brought misery to people."

"You attack the vulnerable and such activities strike at the very root of the society we live in," he said.

Published Thursday January 22, 2004

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